The Hard Year
by P00DLES
Summary: Blindsided by a shocking betrayal, Sakura Uchiha and Hinata Uzumaki form an unlikely bond that will become the force that keeps their children sane and their families from falling apart.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Long story short this fic was removed from all platforms, and after months of being sad and thinking it was lost forever, I discovered that if you delete something off google docs it gets stored in the trash bin in your google drive. (Do a Happy Dance!) So I'm reposting at my own leisure. I really don't feel like explaining what this story will be about once again. Just know that it centers around the friendship between Sakura and Hinata. These two are the primary focus and it will be a story of how they developed an unbreakable bond. Yes, there is a M/M pairing but its purpose is to drive the plot and produce a ton of drama within the families. Their romance will be noted, but it won't be overtaking the story. So if you're not about that don't bother reading, otherwise, enjoy.

The Hard Year

Ch 1

Sakura narrowed her mouth in frustration as she thrust a gold clip into her hair, doing her best to keep just the right amount of fringe over her forehead so as to not accentuate its large rectangular shape. For two hours she had meticulously looped the strands of her dainty locs through the curling iron, producing large, pinkish-red spirals that resembled something like strawberry licorice. She stared at herself in the mirror then combed her fingers through her curls, letting them neatly cascade over her shoulders. As pretty as the hairstyle was it didn't seem to fit the look she was going for; so she threw open the bathroom drawer and searched for more bobby pins. Maybe it was best to style her hair into an updo.

Sakura found it very odd that she and her husband were celebrating New Year's a week after the holiday, but she couldn't complain. They were in Europe after all; Germany to be more specific, in a quaint little town called Meissen. Sasuke had bought a house on one of the large hills that surrounded the city giving them the most exquisite view of the river, the small shops, and the famous Meissen Castle. Sakura's husband owned several vacation homes due to the success of his agency, and it was common for Sasuke to retreat to these spaces when he had to travel overseas for business. Sakura never accompanied Sasuke on work-related trips; so being in a foreign home proved to be a new and interesting experience. She couldn't Remember the last time she and her husband went on a vacation. Even though they had been married for almost 20 years she could count on her hands how many times they actually traveled for leisure. And she could count on one hand how many times they traveled for leisure alone. Sakura reached for the hairspray by the sink and doused her hair in the mist that spurted out of the can. Maybe this trip and tonight's dinner was the result of some new important deal that Sasuke wanted to celebrate because she doubted he brought her overseas just for the heck of it.

Sakura twisted her head in several directions while keeping her eyes glued to the mirror. A perfectly round bun was the most modish thing she knew she could do in the short amount of time she had left to get ready. She turned and grabbed her dress off the door and slipped it over her slim frame. At 43 years old she had made it her duty to take care of her physique and while she wasn't as perky as she was in her early twenties she still had a body she knew most husbands would brag about. Unfortunately, Sasuke wasn't good with words so Sakura doubted he ever bragged about her to anyone, but Sasuke seemed to appreciate her attempts at looking flawless with grunts and nods and the occasional smirk. She smoothed her hands over the bottom of her dress pressing out one or two wrinkles. The dress was from one of the boutiques across the river. It was a simple Lagerfeld piece; a cap sleeve V-neck dress made with a beautiful rose gold silk that complemented her reddish-blonde hair. It had cost a pretty penny, but it was nothing Sasuke couldn't afford. What he lacked in words and affection was often compensated with expensive gifts. Sakura resisted the urge to sulk over the thought. She had met Sasuke her freshman year of college and knew from the moment he spoke that he was stoicism personified. But In spite of his difficult personality, Sakura pursued a friendship with Sasuke relentlessly, determined to make him acknowledge her. She was convinced his cold demeanor was a front, and being an overly optimistic romantic, Sakura had hoped her influence would melt the impenetrable wall of ice that surrounded his heart.

For four years she immersed herself in Sasuke's world, forging a spot into his social circle, joining his RSO's, taking interest in his hobbies. At one point she had even considered switching her major over to business administration so she could have the same classes as Sasuke. But by their junior year, he started to grow accustomed to her presence and eventually let his guard down around her. Instead of scoffing or ignoring her abrasive remarks he would smirk or chuckle. He started inviting her to study groups and His RSO events. After a few of her breakups, he would give her relationship advice. By their Senior year, they were close friends. They would go out for coffee once a week and talk for hours. Looking back on it, Sakura knew she had been borderline obsessed with the man, but it had all paid off. After graduation, Sasuke asked her on an official date and proposed the idea of starting a relationship. They dated for about a year before getting engaged, and now years later here they were successful and …..content.

Being content wasn't a negative thing it was just a way to express how basic things had become. How routine her lifestyle seemed to be. Sasuke right out of college started working on an idea he and his best friend had been talking about the last few months of their senior year: A private company that developed special agents to rescue people out of illegal services and organizations. It took Sasuke and his friend all of 3 years to get the company up and rolling as an independent sub-governmental agency. Their big break with the feds got them involved in national affairs; like infiltrating gang organizations on the west coast. Today they were working international liaisons, collecting intel on terrorist groups and saving girls from the sex trade.

Sasuke was hardly ever around. Even after their first child was born he was expected to go to all different parts of the world to recruit agents, save lives, and be anything an everything but a husband and a father. It was hard, and so many times Sakura had wanted to quit their marriage, but Sasuke would always say he married her because he believed out of every female he ever met she would be the one to stick around when things got difficult. And Sasuke was right. Sakura did stay because that's what her parents had modeled for her with their marriage. It's what she believed in. No matter how hard things got a family stayed together.

It took several Years of Sasuke being in an out the door before she finally accepted it, and when she did life became less full of heartache and more complacent. Right out the womb, Sakura's daughter experienced life without her father being around and she grew up with low expectations of men. Sakura couldn't deny the resentment she saw in her daughter's eyes when Sasuke would come home, but at least they were all still together. That's what mattered to Sakura the most. She felt it was her duty to give Sasuke stability, considering his life on the job was anything but stable. She was aware that their marriage lacked essential elements like...passion, (Sasuke wasn't keen on physical displays of affection. Their sex life seemed frustratingly scheduled) but overall, when she considered her circumstances, she knew she had a good life, and not only that but a beautiful daughter, and a wonderful house in the states. The proof of Sasuke's love was in the easy and comfortable life he had provided for her; so every day she would push herself to be a good wife and not complain.

After applying a modest amount of makeup Sakura left the restroom and made her way to the kitchen. She grabbed the oven mitts off the counter and opened the oven. "This shit better be done," she cursed as she pulled the pan forward. She lifted the dish and gently placed it on the stove. The aroma of the food filled the atmosphere in seconds. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the savory smell to fill up her lungs.

"What have you prepared for our guests tonight?"

Sakura looked up to find her husband standing near the Island in the middle of the Kitchen. "Pot roast," she answered picking a potato out of the gravy and popping it into her mouth.

"Good choice," he smirked as he walked over to the row of cabinets by the refrigerator. He opened one up and started collecting porcelain plates and wine glasses.

Sakura grabbed a knife near the sink and sliced a narrow line down the middle of the roast. "Hmm, I think I'm gonna have to leave this in the oven till it's time to eat. It looks a little rare; too rare for comfort." She looked over to where her husband was reaching above the icebox and her eyes trailed down his back, noticing how his muscles contracted and expanded under his white dress shirt. Her gaze continued to drop past Sasuke's waist and over his firm backside which his navy-blue, dress pants hugged very nicely. Desire started to stir up within her, but she quickly repressed it. She knew he would reject her advances even if all she wanted was a quick and reserved make out session. Instead, she complimented his attire which he responded with a nod and then proceeded to compliment her back.

Somehow she still felt disappointed.

Suddenly the sound of something vibrating caught Sasuke's attention and he pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket. He glanced down at the screen. "It's our guests. They should be here in a few minutes."

Sakura's eyebrows seemed to float to the top of her head. "And who exactly are our visitors tonight?"

"You'll see when they get here," Sasuke replied as he started setting dishes on the dining room table.

Sakura eyed him suspiciously, it wasn't like Sasuke to keep something so trivial a secret.

"What," Sasuke's dark eyes were transfixed on sakura's hands which were on her hips.

"It's nothing I think." She lifted her arms across her chest and rested her back on the left side of the dining room entryway. "I'm just curious as to why the identity of our guests is a mystery. I hope we're not having dinner with like a pimp or a mafioso boss or something sketch like that."

"No," Sasuke chuckled. He lifted his face to meet sakura's, and for a moment she felt he looked sad, but before she could question if something was wrong a stoic line formed across his mouth and he said "I would never introduce you to someone like that. the last thing I need is every nefarious person on the globe knowing who the mother of my child is."

Sakura blushed and cleared her throat. "Well um, that's good to know."  
The fair-haired woman smiled genuinely and rubbed the side of her arm

"You really do look lovely tonight Sakura." Sasuke's face was uncharacteristically soft, and she noticed it again; the glint of sorrow deep within his piercing black eyes.

"Is everything alright Sasuke?" she asked and took a step forward. "I'll just be honest and say that this trip, this dinner- surprise visitors; it all seems a little out of the ordinary, and I feel as though there's something more to all of this; like there's a catch to the large amount of quality time we've been spending together." She watched as Sasuke pulled out a chair and took a seat. "I mean, you can correct me if I'm wrong." She started to think that maybe her suspicions were rude. It wasn't that far-fetched that Sasuke was trying to be close to her. Or was it? She honestly didn't know.

Sasuke held out his hand to her and she looked at it as if it were some kind of abstract sculpture you'd find in a modern art museum. Slowly she took another step towards him and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. He pulled her closer until she was standing between his legs then dropped both of his hands to hold her small manicured ones. Sakura was so bewildered by the contact her knees almost buckled. Sasuke noticed and moved a hand to her waist to hold her steady. "Sakura," he spoke softly. "I need you to know that I think you are the most remarkable woman I have ever known. You're beautiful, intelligent, funny, and an amazing mother. Being with you all these years I've come to realize that my choice to marry you was one of the best decisions I ever made. And I don't regret the life we've had together. You've given me stability; you've given me offspring. You've given me comfort and a peace that I wouldn't have found in anyone else. You are more than what I ever deserved."

Sakura stared into her husband's face. She was speechless and so completely overwhelmed that she didn't notice the lone tear that rolled down the surface of her cheek. How she longed to have a moment like this with Sasuke; a moment where he expressed his appreciation and adoration. For so long she felt as if Sasuke had married her to play the role of his wife not actually be his wife, his life partner, his soulmate. Why Sasuke had been compelled to speak these words was beyond her, but she accepted them and found that a light in her heart was flickering on, reminding her that she was in fact in love with the man before her. Sasuke stood to wipe the single tear away from her cheek and replace it with a chaste kiss.

"I know I haven't said these things to you, and I wish I could go back and express to you how much I truly appreciate you and everything that you do and have done." Sakura noticed that Sasuke's tone had become slightly strained with a hint of panic. She squeezed his arm and his eyes started to look over her face as if memorizing every detail of her soft features. Suddenly it dawned on Sakura that Sasuke was very worried about something. He blinked then sighed, making an effort to return to his more natural, stoic demeanor. To most outsiders the changes in Sasuke's persona would have been borderline impossible to catch, however, Sakura, who had been married to Sasuke for about 20 years, had caught onto Sasuke's ridiculous ability to poker face his way from anyone trying to pry into his actual thoughts and feelings.

"Is there something we need to talk about Sasuke?" Sakura asked. His eyes widened briefly, but he didn't answer. "Sasuke?" she asked again. Was he in trouble with some dangerous people. His line of work made him an enemy to a lot of wicked criminals. Maybe someone was threatening to harm him or her; which would make sense why Sasuke would suddenly want to tell Sakura how much he appreciated her. Maybe he was genuinely afraid that he would lose his family. This made Sakura think whoever Sasuke might be in trouble with was a very dangerous person.

"Sakura I…" Sasuke began but was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

The pink haired woman looked back towards the door then back at her husband. "Of course, this would happen now," she shook her head with a small grin.

"Yeah," Sasuke sighed and raked a hand through his dark hair.

"How about we save this conversation for later," she said and Sasuke nodded. "Now let's go see who these mystery visitors are." She squeezed Sasuke's hand as she led him to the door. When she opened it she gasped with delight then laughed to see none other than her husband's best friend Naruto Uzumaki and his wife Hinata.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ch2_

"Guten Abend Freunde," Naruto greeted in German; a large smile practically splitting his face in half. His wife Hinata shyly waved, revealing a small hand; red from the cold.

"God damn, am I ever happy to see you guys!" Sakura said as she pulled the two adults into the house. She immediately wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, basking in his firm and familiar touch. "Wow, I can't believe you're here." Upon meeting Sasuke her freshman year of college, Sakura had also met his right-hand man Naruto, and the three of them had become the closest of friends. If Naruto was around the night was destined to be full of laughs, lively stories, and friendly banter.

After she released the blonde man from her grip, she proceeded to give Hinata an awkward, short embrace. She hadn't seen much of the smaller woman past Sarada's and Boruto Uzumaki's 8th-grade graduation; ten years ago. Which was a real shame, considering they both lived in the same city. Hinata was a quiet and polite woman; lovely and reserved. Sakura felt somewhat bad for her because when the four of them ever got together she was usually, but unintentionally, cast off as a fourth wheel. While Sakura didn't have a personal relationship with Naruto's wife, she couldn't say or think of anything negative about her. Hinata was beautiful, respectful, and just genuinely a good person.

"Naruto, Hinata," Sasuke greeted, and his best friend attempted to loop an arm around his shoulder, but the blonde was immediately stopped by a hand to the chest. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Wow, don't be such a prude bastard," the blue-eyed man answered and forced Sasuke into his arms. Sakura noticed that their hold on each other lingered, but she didn't think much of it. Once Sasuke was released, the stoic man took a step in front of Hinata and bowed. "It's good to see you again," he spoke, and she bowed back. "May I?" he asked and assisted her in taking off her coat. "You look stunning." Her dress was an uncomplicated, black, laced, long-sleeve top that dipped slightly between her chest, revealing a small amount of cleavage. The skirt stopped just before her knees. "The closet is just over here down the hall," Sasuke said and she followed him closely.

"So what you cook up for us, hopefully something we all can actually eat," Naruto joked turning towards Sakura. She narrowed her eyes, silently warning him.

"Oh, how I've missed that scowl of yours."

"We're having pot roast. Now go make yourself at home!" she commanded, pushing him forward

"Yes ma'am," he said and pulled her into another hug before starting down the hallway. He tugged off his coat revealing an outfit very similar to Sasuke's; only his pants were black instead of navy blue.

Sakura cupped her hands together behind her back. It really did feel great to see Naruto again. He was like a breath of fresh air; always making the atmosphere light and fun. She almost forgot, that only a few minutes before, her and Sasuke had been caught up in a tense conversation. In no way was she going to let that discussion go unaddressed, however, duty beckoned her to get into host mode and entertain her guests. Well, Naruto would probably be doing most of the entertaining tonight, but she had to at least get the roast out of the oven. She walked down the hall and into the kitchen to find Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto sitting in the nook. The blonde was explaining in great detail the issues he and Hinata had at the Dresden airport. Apparently, one of their suitcases had yet to be sent to their hotel. Sakura quietly listened in on the animated monologue as she pulled the roast out of the oven and set it on the counter.

"Mmm, that smells absolutely divine," Naruto cooed as he and his two audience members turned to look at her.

"Yes it does Sakura," Hinata added.

"It's done now, but I need to let it cool a little before cutting it." Sakura slipped off her oven mitts. "So why don't you guys take this conversation into the dining room and I'll have dinner ready, here in a moment."

The three adults were quick to follow Sakura's directions and stood to their feet.

"Let me help you," Hinata offered, and Sakura happily accepted the extra pair of hands. In seconds the two of them got into an easy rhythm of preparing each dish.

"Our wives are so cute. Don't you think Sasuke?" Naruto looked up at his best friend who completely ignored him and took a seat at the dining room table.

"I think you're cute," Naruto grinned at his wife and Sakura, conveying an authentic appreciation of them both.

The two women gave naruto the typical glance they always gave him whenever he chose to be a doting suck up.

Naruto chuckled at their expressions then disappeared into the dining room. But just before he exited the kitchen Sakura could have sworn his demeanor changed, and he seemed anxious.

It didn't take long for Sakura and Hinata to wrap things up in the kitchen. Not much was said beyond some of the instructions Sakura had to explain to the other woman in minor detail. Actually, what really caused Sakura to ignore small talk was her curiosity of the silence coming from the other room; which, if you knew Sasuke and Naruto, silence between them was very odd. If they weren't talking about business they were arguing about everything else.

"Hunger can make a man mute," Hinata offered, seeming to read Sakura's thoughts. So she wasn't the only one who noticed the silence.

"Than we should get in there with the food," Sakura responded and sighed with a smile.

"Un," Hinata nodded.

Dinner started off more awkward than Sakura could have ever guessed a dinner with the Uzumaki's could start. Clearly, her husband and Naruto were in some kind of disagreement, but about what? What issue could possibly keep the two of them from at least yelling at one another? Somehow Sakura knew this was all tied in with the way Sasuke had been acting before their guests arrived. "So what's been new with the Uzumakis?" she casually asked, trying to get some kind of conversation going. She was next to Sasuke who was sitting on the opposite side of Hinata. Sakura folded her arms on the table and looked between her two friends.

"I don't think there's too much happening these days," Hinata replied tucking a strand of her long, dark hair behind her ear.

"Don't be so modest." Naruto leaned gently on her shoulder. "Hinata is the new PTA president at Himawari's high school." A proud smirk graced his lips as Hinata blushed. Sasuke nodded his head in approval.

"That's really great Hinata." Sakura congratulated. "So, tell us some of the big plans you have for the parents and-"

"Um, you see," Hinata interjected, her cheeks were still red and her voice was soft. She began to shift uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm not exactly the president. I've just been nominated to run for the presidential position next fall."

"Being nominated is still worth the mention," Sasuke tried to help. He gave Sakura a side glance; a sign to add on to his comment. Sakura caught the glance but didn't say anything.

"To be honest, I don't know," the brunette continued. "I think some of the more …" Hinata looked up at the ceiling searching for the appropriate word, "intense female members of the group were playing a prank on me or something."

"Then you'll just have to show them Hinata. You're an Uzumaki! We prove ourselves to those who look down on us!" Naruto threw his fist on the top of the table which earned him a kick from Sasuke.

"Ow!" Naruto flinched. "What the hell?"

"I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from pounding on my furniture," the Uchiha stated calmly.

Sakura sat a little straighter; now that was the type of interaction she was used to seeing between her husband and his best friend. "I agree with Naruto," she said looking back at Hinata. "You should run for the position and get those bitches off your back."

Sasuke shook his head at his wife's brusque language

"Right," Naruto wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "You'll have to run and win and make those jerks sorry they ever made you a nominee."

"I don't think it'll be that easy," Hinata sighed and nervously folded her hands on her napkin.

"It probably won't be, but you shouldn't count yourself out before you even try," Sasuke encouraged, yet his eyes seemed to stare at the arm that was currently around Hinata. Naruto noticed and retracted his hold on his wife.

"I'll think about it," Hinata shrugged, ending the conversation. She no longer wished to be the center of attention. The situation with the PTA was, in her opinion, one of great misfortune.

"So what about you Naruto," Sakura turned to look at her blonde friend across the table. "You and Sasuke clearly always have something new and exciting going on. What's your new assignment?"

"Um, that's classified," Naruto answered, a light tease to his tone, but it was very forced.

"Is that really how it's going to be?" Sakura whined, ignoring the strange way he answered her question.

Naruto smiled. "Let's see, I can at least tell you this much." He scooted closer to the table. "So there's this specialist out in Saudi Arabia who I'm trying to recruit. I want to use him to help infiltrate some terrorist hideouts in the middle east."

"Specialist?"

"Yeah, apparently he's a master of a hidden fighting style that's only known to his village. It's called: qiblat min alrramal alllahI. In English it means something like the Kiss of the Sand God."

"Oh? that's kinda cool. Do you know anything about this Guy Sasuke?" Sakura looked at her Husband

He shrugged. "I've worked with him a few times. I like him. He's quiet and not annoying, unlike some colleagues I know."

"Ha. Ha. You're hilarious," the Blonde squinted his eyes, which earned him a light chuckle from the Uchiha. "He's got pretty cool hair too," he continued about the new recruit. "It's like a deep red, and it's all natural."

"It's hard for me to believe that there's an all-natural, redheaded Saudi chilling out in a village somewhere," Sakura replied, mindlessly twirling her fork on her plate.

"Only half Saudi actually," Sasuke pointed out.

"Oh, I guess that explains it."

"Enough about us Sakura. Tell us about yourself. What new and exciting things are happening for you back at home?" Hinata politely asked

Sakura was taken aback by the question and not fully prepared to give a detailed answer. She wasn't sure if anything "new" was happening in her life besides the trip. Her days at home were monotonous, apart from some of the evenings she'd spend with her girlfriends, shopping or going to the spa. "The only thing new is this trip," she answered truthfully. "I have a pretty boring life. I mean, now that Sarada is in college, I just….well, I keep the house in order and make sure the bills are paid. That's it; nothing great."

Sakura wondered if her tone sounded bitter. By the look on everyone's faces, she guessed it may have. Hinata was practically red and fighting to keep her gaze from falling down towards her hands. Naruto was rubbing the top of his head, the trace of a nervous smile on his lips, and Sasuke was as stiff as a stone.

"What, did I say something wrong?" she asked feeling slightly offended. It was the truth. What the hell were they expecting her to say?

"It can't be all that bad Sakura," Naruto said. His voice was soft and nurturing, and for some reason that struck a nerve.

"I never said anything was bad!" she snapped then immediately composed herself. "I don't think there's anything wrong having a routine lifestyle. I get important shit done. I wasn't complaining. At least I don't think I was."

Naruto sighed and a look of guilt seemed to wax across his face. Sakura couldn't even begin to understand how Naruto could feel guilty. Any bitterness she felt towards anyone or anything was not his fault. For a moment a tension seemed to grow in the air and make the room feel heavy. It wasn't like Sakura to be negative, and now she seemed to be doing a terrible job of playing host to her guests. She could feel the side of Sasuke's body lightly bumping into her, and she looked at him hoping he'd look at her and reassure her that she wasn't making the start of the night shitty.

"Your life doesn't seem routine to me," her husband spoke. "On your facebook, you're always posting pictures of you and Ino doing random stuff. You guys really like visiting those wineries."

Both Sakura's and Naruto's mouths flew open.

"Yeah, I look at my wife's facebook posts from time to time. It's a shocker I know," he said rolling his eyes.

"Seriously Sasuke, that's so creepy," Sakura started to laugh, and just like that the tension seemed to be pushed down into an overlooked undercurrent.

"How the hell is that creepy?" the Uchiha groused.

"Do you have a facebook?" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, a haughty grin forming on his lips.

"Don't you dare look down on me, and what kind of question is that? Do you know who we are Naruto, and what we do?"

Naruto stared. "That's not an answer."

"No, you idiot. I don't." This response caused Hinata to cover her mouth and giggle.

From that point forward the dinner became what Sakura had hoped it would be: light, fun, and entertaining. Several embarrassing stories about Naruto in college were brought up and Sakura and Sasuke were relentless in their teasing. Hinata seemed to just soak up the camaraderie between the trio and appreciate it for what it was. The tension that seemed to fester in the back of everyone's minds was distant from the present moment, but it only took one innocent question from Naruto's pretty wife to bring it right back to the table in a new and full form.

"The News?" Naruto coughed, his eyes immediately focusing on Sasuke.

"Yes, you told me that tonight you and Sasuke had some important news about work that you wanted to share with me and Sakura," Hinata pointed out.

"Is that So?" Sakura said licking her lips and resting her hands in her lap. She looked at Sasuke. So the trip wasn't for leisure. She wasn't surprised at all.

"Why don't we save it till after dessert. I want to show Naruto around the house first," Sasuke spoke softly. He was avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

Annoyed, Sakura pushed herself out from the table. "Ok, then I'll get the apple crisp baking. It should take about ten to fifteen minutes."

"Thank you," Sasuke replied and grabbed her hand to squeeze it.

"I'll start clearing the table," Hinata said standing to her feet.

Naruto was still looking at Sasuke, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. He held almost no expression on his face. "Let's make this quick Sasuke," he said in a full, deep timbre and it sounded almost like a warning.

The two men left and Sakura was standing with her hands on her hips looking over at Hinata who had collected most of the plates off the table. "Is it me or does something feel very off?"

"I think the boys are just stressed about their jobs," the petite woman shrugged. "Their line of work is fast-paced and dangerous. I think it might be hard for them to act normal when they're used to always being on edge."

Sure that made sense, but Sakura couldn't figure out whether Hinata truly believed that or if she was just telling herself that to ignore the gut feeling women often got when something was just wrong.

"Maybe you're right," Sakura replied and didn't say anything else about it. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed the dessert from the bottom shelf.

"That looks good," Hinata looked at the glass pan in Sakura's hand before she carried the dishes over to the sink.

"I got the recipe from my mom. I hope it tastes as good as her does."

Naruto's wife turned on the sink and began to lather a rag in soap.

" We have a dishwasher," Sakura announced and used her free hand to point to the handle.

"It's ok I like hand washing dishes."

The fair-haired woman gave her a peculiar look

"It relaxes me."

"Heh, You're kind of old fashion aren't you?" Sakura chuckled as she placed the apple crisp in the oven.

"Hmm, maybe," the brunette answered. "I think there's a profoundness in the simple things that often gets overlooked."

Sakura made a face but allowed Hinata's words to sink in. Clearly, there was a lot more depth to the woman than she ever chose to notice.

The two of them were quickly caught up in another rhythm of work, tidying the kitchen and the dining room. There wasn't a real conversation being held. Sakura was contemplating the weird air that had formed during dinner, and Hinata seemed to respect the space Sakura needed to think, which made the wife of the Uchiha like Hinata a little bit more.

Just as Sakura was about to take out a set of bowls Sasuke's phone started to go off over by the nook. She quickly walked over to pick it up but cringed when she saw the name that flashed across the screen.

"Who is it?" Hinata asked from behind the counter.

"Hatake."

"Oh," Hinata's eyes widened. "You should probably get that to Sasuke right away."

"Right," Sakura agreed and waited till the phone stopped ringing. It buzzed seconds later, signifying a message had been left. Sakura knew that a call from Kakashi Hatake was nothing short of an emergency. If it was really bad Sasuke would no doubt have to leave immediately, and she wouldn't hear from him for days; maybe even weeks. "I'll be right back," she said and dismissed herself. First, she looked outside on the front porch to see if they were smoking cigars, but when she found no sight of them she came back inside and traveled down to the basement. Strangely, they weren't there either which indicated they were probably on the second floor. As Sakura walked up the stairs and down the hallway she felt a tangible pressure that bewildered her and stirred up foreign, flares of anxiety. Her intuition was giving her the impression that something was wrong, warning her that if she continued down the corridor she'd regret it. But her legs wouldn't stop moving; she was enticed by the mystery of uncertainty. A pair of voices could be faintly heard coming from outside and Sakura wondered if Naruto and Sasuke were on the balcony. The balcony did have an extravagant view; so it wasn't strange that her husband would take his best friend out there; however when Sasuke had mentioned he wanted to show naruto around the house she figured he would take the man to his office (which was in the basement) to throw back a shot or two of aged whiskey.

Slowly, Sakura crept closer to the french doors that were left ajar; the voices of the two men becoming louder with each step. A cold breeze whistled through the crack and blew across her cheeks causing goosebumps to form around her nose. Just What were they talking about? She thought, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Don't you fucking touch me! Please... don't."

Sakura halted at the sudden outburst. She was less than a foot away from the entrance and could see a reflection of Sasuke and Naruto in the glass door closest to her.

"Why are you being like this?" Sasuke asked, and Sakura stared as the Uchiha moved forward with heedful steps, trying to close the gap Naruto had apparently created between them.

The blonde watched him apprehensively, his eyes reflecting so many emotions, Sakura thought he would start convulsing. "We can't do this anymore. I can't do this anymore. I'm... I'm-"

"You're what!" Sasuke suddenly snapped. "A damn coward?" There was a pause and no one said anything. "If that's what you're wondering," he continued, "then, yes Naruto, you are a coward."

"I'm a coward?" the blonde growled. His knuckles were turning white at his sides.

The dark haired man shrugged, his face hard, but Sakura knew he was using that expression to hide behind his hurt, and it seemed Naruto new as well because his posture changed to that of being cautious to downright pissed and annoyed.

"How am I a coward Sasuke? Because I'm choosing to face reality rather than live in some fucked up fantasy?"

"No, you're a coward because you can't admit that what we have is the realest thing you've ever felt, and it's making you question your marriage and whether or not you should have ever started a family with Hinata."

If Naruto hadn't grabbed Sasuke's collar and shoved him against the railing, Sakura's gasp would have certainly been heard. She felt weak in the knees and had to rest her hand against the wall to keep herself from slumping to the floor. She shouldn't be hearing this conversation, and while her conscience was screaming at her to get up and leave, to turn around and pretend nothing was happening, she forced herself to watch and listen."

"You have no idea how wrong you are," Naruto seethed through his teeth. "I don't regret the life I've made with Hinata. I don't regret having children. Just how low of a person do you think I am that you would say something that goes against my very nature. How could you convince yourself that I would abandon my family for something that should have died years ago!" Naruto was leaning so far forward that Sasuke was almost hanging off the banister.

The dark haired man swallowed, wrapping his fingers around Naruto's wrist.

"I am not like you Sasuke. I am not so selfish that I would throw away what I already have in light of what I perceive may make me feel better about myself!"

When the Uchiha still didn't respond Naruto pulled him back onto the balcony and slowly retracted his hand from his collar. "Don't compare your marriage to mine. Me and Hinata are different. What we have is different than what you have with Sakura, and I will not allow you to undermine it to satiate your ego and nullify your guilt."

At these words Sasuke didn't even bother to hide his emotions behind a stoic glance or an icy glare. He looked devastated and the raw display of emotion caused Naruto to release his anger and soften his bearing. The blonde began to reach out his hand but hesitated.

"So tell me; be honest with me Naruto. Do you love me?"

Naruto feigned a look of confusion. "Yes, I love you. Isn't that obvious. You're my best friend."

"You know that's not what I mean." The Uchiha replied darkly, a warning in his tone. "Tell me how you truly feel about me."

Sakura dropped the phone and gripped her chest. She slowly slipped to the floor, the wall no longer a reliable support, and was sitting on her knees. The anticipation of Naruto's answer weighed so heavily in the atmosphere that the fair-haired woman found it hard to breathe.

"I-" Naruto began.

Sasuke's smoldering gaze was locked on the man before him. "If you can look me in the eye and tell me without a shadow of doubt that you feel nothing for me than I swear to you that I will never bother you again."

Silence lingered between the two adults for what felt like an eternity until Naruto finally turned his head in defeat. Sasuke used this as an invitation to remove the distance between them and stand directly in front of his friend.

"Please Sasuke. Don't," Naruto whispered, clenching the front of the man's shirt. His blue eyes were glazed over with a veil of oncoming tears. "We can't do this anymore."

"I'm sorry," the other responded and cupped Naruto's face with his hands. "I'm just too selfish."

Sakura closed her eyes just as the distance between her husband and his best friend disappeared. She was somehow able to stand to her feet then and walk back to the stairwell. The weirdest thought of jumping down the full flight of stairs passed through her mind, but she quickly ignored it and daintily carried herself to the first floor.

In the kitchen, Hinata had pulled the apple crisp from the oven and cut out moderate-sized pieces and set them in bowls. Sakura stood in the nook area until the petite woman noticed her and smiled.

"I hope taking this out is alright with you. The timer went off and I got worried it would burn."

Sakura stared, lost in a million thoughts. She was unaware of how hollow the look in her eyes had become.

" Um, is everything alright Sakura?" Hinata asked very concerned. "You look really pale. Maybe you should sit down."

"Oh…. uh, yeah," She shook her head attempting to regain her focus. "Thanks for getting the cake, pie- shit- whatever the fuck it is. Could you excuse me for a moment?" Before the other woman could respond, Sakura turned on her heel and headed straight towards the basement. She ransacked her husband's office of all its finest liquors and brought them back upstairs to the kitchen. She placed the different colored bottles on the counter and grabbed a pair of small, round glasses from the china cabinet. "Here," she said, handing Hinata a full glass of a dark, brown liquid, before pouring a glass of her own and downing it instantly.

Hinata watched her, feeling slightly alarmed. "Sorry, I'm not really one for hard liquor."

"Tch," Sakura scoffed. "Trust me dear, you're gonna need this."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Thanks guys for checking out my story. I appreciate the reviews and everyone's thoughts and opinions. Please continue to review as it is very encouraging. Also to anyone who has nothing better to do than flame or be rude... get over yourself. All discretions were in the first chapter. SO if you read and don't like what you have read, you only have yourself to blame. Also, I will report you.

Anyway, you guys are awesome and this next chapter is neck deep in DRAMA! Woot-woot! So stay cool, and enjoy the ride.

 **OMT:** please forgive all spelling and grammatical errors.

 _Ch3_

Hinata slowly lifted the glass of Scotch to her nose and sniffed. 'Wow' she mouthed with wide eyes; her nostrils flaring. One sip alone would probably burn a trail down her esophagus and spark a fire inside her belly. How Sakura managed to drink two cups without gagging amazed her and made her nervous as well. Why the sudden bout of debauchery? Why the dramatic antics akin to the effects of what could only be described as shock? Maybe the call from Hatake was worse then what Sakura had expected. Were their husbands lives in grave danger? Were _they_ in grave danger? When the fair-haired women started pouring herself a third glass Hinata stopped musing over her thoughts and gently rested her hand on top of Sakura's wrist.

"I'm gonna have to stop you right there Sakura. I'm not sure what the fuss is all about, but I think it's best we keep ourselves level-headed, especially if the situation with Hatake looks really bad."

The Uchiha's wife narrowed her eyes before barking out a loud obnoxious laugh. She took a step back and snatched her hand out of the brunette's grasp. "To Hatake," she sarcastically cheered raising her cup in the air. "If only he was the one responsible for ruining my fucking life tonight," she added then threw back the third glass of whiskey, smacking her lips noisily once the last drop slid past her tongue.

Hinata shook her head. Now she was really confused. Hatake was always the bearer of bad news, but If he wasn't the reason for Sakura's inappropriate form of hysteria, what was?

"Come on Hinata, don't waste any time, you gotta keep up. This stuff works fast."

"Sakura can you please tell me what's wrong? You're scaring me. What did Kakashi say? How bad was the news? Are Naruto and Sasuke in trouble?"

"So many questions."The other woman put a finger to her lip, twisting her face into a quizzical expression. "Hmm, How can I put this?" She reached for a bottle that was a deep shade of red and swiveled it a few times. "Our Husbands, you know, the ones who we've been married to for a little over twenty years."

"Yes, what about them?" Hinata, as politely as she could manage, urged the Uchiha's wife to continue.

" Well, they're sorta… cheating on us," she announced.

Hinata tilted her head to the side and squinted her eyes.

"With each other,"Sakura added with a mocking grin then took a swig from the bottle in her hand. "Now, that's some strong shit," she shivered, puckering her mouth in disgust.

Hinata kept her eyes glued to the woman before her. She wasn't drunk. (Having a possible mental break down, yes, but not drunk). A couple minutes of binge drinking wasn't going to make a person incoherent. Till those obvious signs of intoxication surfaced, Hinata wondered whether or not Sakura was telling the truth. Naruto was cheating on her; And with Sasuke nonetheless?

"No that can't be right," the brunette pinched the bridge of her nose and walked around the counter. She was just gonna have to find out what was going on herself.

Sakura placed the red bottle and her glass on the table. "Hold on," she said reaching for Hinata 's arm. She grabbed it and held onto it tight. "Really, I wouldn't," she advised, and her tone was serious.

Hinata was doing the best she could to keep herself well mannered, but she just about had enough of the other woman's momentary lunacy. She had a right to know what was happening especially if it involved her husband. Straightening her posture, Hinata opened her mouth and sternly spoke, "Mrs. Uchiha-"

"Mrs. Uzumaki," the other woman quickly interjected.

For a moment the two women looked at each other; Sakura's jade colored eyes conveying a thousand messages that Hinata could only attempt to understand.

"Just give them a moment," Sakura sighed and let Hinata's arm slip out of her hand. "They need a moment," she said again and Hinata noticed the clenched fists at her sides, a barely tamed fury brewing within the depths of the woman's psyche. "And when they come down we'll have them explain everything."

Hinata had no reason to believe any word that came out of Sakura's mouth or oblige to her request to wait, but somehow Hinata felt like staying downstairs was the wise thing to do. "Ok," the brunette agreed. "I can wait."

Sakura seemed to relax at Hinata's compliance

"but I'm cutting you off," she declared.

Sakura shrugged. "Whatever," she hiccupped, "but first," she turned towards the nook, almost tripping over a pile of air, and grabbed the red bottle. "One more for the home team," she said and poured the liquor down her throat until Hinata rushed over and stole the bottle out of her hands. Angrily the brunette screwed the cap back on before returning the container back to the kitchen counter with all the other alcoholic drinks. She grabbed two bowls of apple crisp and a pair of spoons and set one of the desserts in front of Sakura who was now sitting down and resting her head on the table.

"Eat this," Hinata commanded, "It's not gonna reverse the oncoming effects of the alcohol, but it may slow it down."

"unghhh"

Hinata sat down on the other side of the bench and halfheartedly took a bite of her dessert. From the moment she and Naruto had landed in Dresden she felt out of place and only mildly impressed with her surroundings. Of course, Hinata loved the history of Germany. The cities, with their old European charm, were a wonder to behold. And the countryside, with its quaint villages, held even more charisma. But the former Hyuga could not deny that she was a homebody. She missed Chicago and her sweet daughter, Himawari. All weekend Naruto had been lovely, enthusiastically showing her the ins and out of German culture. But all through her husband's tirades on world war two, food, and beer, Hinata found the only thing she could think about was her garden on the rooftop back at home and whether or not Neji had remembered to check on her winter vegetables; more specifically her Pak Choi which she knew were ready to be picked. She had never wanted to take a trip, but whatever news Naruto had to share about his and Sasuke's new assignment seemed important enough that she wouldn't have dared deny his request for her to accompany him overseas. And it wasn't like she was going to waste an opportunity to spend ample amounts of time with him, considering he was almost never home.

Still….

"Is he really cheating on me?" Hinata whispered to herself, dropping her spoon in her bowl and rubbing the sides of her head. Suddenly her mind was all over the place.

"I'm asking myself the same question," Sakura croaked, her face still planted on the table.

 **XxX**

15 minutes later the men came down the stairs appearing side by side in the kitchen. Hinata, who had been poking the remains of her dessert with her spoon, stopped and let the utensil slide into the bowl. She immediately noticed how unkempt the Uchiha looked. His shirttail was untucked from his pants, his collar was partially popped up and tilted at a weird angle, and the back half of his hair looked as if it had been poorly pressed down into place. His cell phone was gripped tightly in his hand and his face held a very stern and serious grimace. Naruto was in no better shape. His face was flushed and his eyes were wandering everywhere. The first few buttons on his shirt were gone, revealing a small section of his tanned chest, and his hair was more tousled than usual. Hinata didn't know how to process what she saw, so she chose to ignore it.

When Sasuke caught sight of his liquor collection strewn all over the countertop, a noise that sounded something like a mix between a gasp and a growl escaped his mouth and he asked, "Why are all of these up here? And where is Sakura?"

"She's in the bathroom," the petite woman answered. "And as for the liquor, well….I'm not sure what to say."

Aggravated, the Uchiha ran his fingers through his hair and sighed; a sense of urgency stiffly expressed through his body language. It was obvious something bad had happened; was happening, but Hinata wasn't going to outright ask about it, instead she put on her most sympathetic face and said: "I know Hatake called, and I'm guessing it was bad news."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke briefly before taking a step forward. He was unmistakably anxious, his hands shaking as he wrapped his fingers around his wife's palms. "You have nothing to worry about Hinata." He wasn't hiding it; his guilt. Hinata could see the anguish deep within the rings of his beautiful blue irises. It was enough to make her heart skip a beat, but she held his hands tightly, believing in him, trusting him even though her gut was sure of a horrible truth.

"Do you know how my phone got upstairs? I found it lying in the hallway." Sasuke questioned, staring at his best friend's wife.

Hinata kept her eyes on Naruto, refusing to acknowledge the confrontation that wanted to unravel itself before her.

"Hinata?" Her husband softly spoke, rubbing his thumbs across her knuckles.

"No. I don't," she lied, and she had no idea why except maybe she was trying to protect herself, and Sakura too.

"Hyuga," Sasuke warned.

Hinata felt an icy chill trickle down her spine, and she suddenly felt very unsafe. Naruto turned to face the Uchiha. "Don't you dare use that tone with my wife," he sneered.

Sasuke's animosity didn't falter

"You fucking know better."

It was in that moment Sakura chose to saunter out of the hallway, grab Hinata's cup of Scotch off the counter and lean against the island in the center of the kitchen. "What's with the bad mojo?" she asked, tapping her nails against the marble surface. "Gaawdd, I could literally cut the tension in here with a knife."

"Are you drunk?" Sasuke asked dropping his attention from Naruto to look apprehensively at his spouse.

"Um, I think the correct term here is shittfaced," Sakura laughed and took a sip from the glass, "at least that's what Sarada's friend Chouchou refers to it as."

"Every single one of these liquors is at least 60 proof or above. Just how much did you have?"

"Uhhh-"

"A lot," Hinata filled in, "and she chugged that stuff in the red bottle."

"Craps's terrible," Sakura scrunched up her face remembering the taste.

"The red bottle?"

The Uchiha's wife pointed to it.

"Oh really," he groaned when he saw what she was pointing at. "That's fucking moonshine Sakura, just what were you thinking?" Sasuke walked across the kitchen to stand in front of her. He had a look on his face that showed he was concerned but also very angry.

"The question isn't- _what was I thinking-_ no, it's more like, _what was I not trying to think about?"_ Sakura's eyes were cold as she looked up at her husband.

"You know what, I think it's about time we take our leave," Naruto spoke while helping his wife out from the bench. Hinata felt relief at the idea of going back to the hotel. The amount of stress she felt thinking about what Sakura had told her was beginning to make her feel sick. She needed to talk to Naruto and find out the truth about everything.

"Now you wait just one second Uzumaki. You're not getting off the hook that easily." Sakura crashed her fists into her hips. "You came here to share with me and Hinata some special news right? So you won't be leaving until I hear everything that's going on in the world of Sasuke and Naruto."

"I think it might be better for you and Sasuke to have this discussion alone," the blonde answered.

"And why is that?"

"Because you're his wife. And it's a conversation better suited in private without me or anyone else around."

"Did you hear that Hinata? Naruto is acknowledging me as Sasuke's wife."

"Of course," Hinata frowned, "because that's who you are Sakura. You're Sasuke's wife." The brunette could feel the tension in the air swelling at an alarming rate. If she and Naruto didn't leave now the situation was sure to escalate into something neither of them were prepared to handle.

"Is that who I am Sasuke?" the fair-haired woman asked while lifting the glass to her lips

"That's one of the things you are," he answered. "Now give me the drink. I'm gonna put you to bed," he said while placing his phone on the surface of the island.

When Sakura caught sight of the cellular device she loosened her fingers around the cup, allowing it to slip her out of her grasp and fall to the floor where it shattered into several pieces. "Oops," she said, her face expressionless.

Sasuke paused. "I think it might be best for us to be alone," he said to the Uzamakis.

Naruto nodded and started to head for the hallway, his wife right behind him.

"Just wait!" Sakura pleaded.

Hinata stopped, the desperation in the other woman's voice prompting her to freeze. Naruto continued down the hall and opened the closet. He pulled out his coat as well as Hinata's then reached for his wife's arm, pulling her forward. "We're leaving," he stated and led her towards the front door. Hinata almost felt inclined to protest, but quickly thought better of it.

As the Uzumakis walked out onto the front porch Hinata could hear Sakura demanding that Sasuke move out of her way. Was it really a good idea to leave the two of them alone together? Was it safe? At the car, Hinata pulled her arm out of her husband's grasp and turned him around to look at her. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped when the front door of the house flew open and Sakura, without a coat, stormed outside. Sakura coughed then wobbled down the small path until she stood directly between Naruto and the Driver's-side door of the vehicle. Hinata heard the front door open again. This time Sasuke was on the porch but he had his coat and was buttoning it up.

"Sakura, you need to go back inside," the blonde calmly spoke, his tone stern but tired.

"No!" she snapped and dug her heels into the gravel.

"You're drunk, and out of control. Let Sasuke put you to bed. Please."

She looked terrible. Her eyes were red and her hair had fallen out of it's pretty bun into a messy, loose ponytail. Hinata felt embarrassed for seeing her in such a state.

"You can't go until you explain to me what I saw."

"What are you talking about?"

"Stop playing fucking Dumb! I saw everything."

Sasuke was finally next to his wife. His breath making small, puffs of smoke in the air. "What did you see?" he asked.

"Wow!" she wailed, throwing her hands in the air. "Use your goddamn deducting skills! Aren't you two supposed to be agents that rival the CIA?"

"Sakura," Hinata spoke up, wrapping the ends of her coat closer around her body. "Not now, let's not talk about this now."

"You found your phone in the hallway didn't you Sasuke?" Sakura asked, completely ignoring the other woman.

Thdark-haireded man didn't reply he just stared.

"I was maybe a foot away from the entrance of the balcony," she continued. "I saw all of it. All of it."

"Sakura!" Hinata tried again.

"You lying bastards." the Uchiha's wife continued still. "You lying bastards! How are you just pretending that nothing is going on."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He reached out to grab Hinata's shoulder, she glanced up at him and noticed a terrified look on his face.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Sakura asked. "Do you think she's an idiot," she added pointing at Hinata.

"You-You're not an idiot." Sasuke answered, and his tone was surprisingly soft, the look on his face was sad but relaxed. He was willingly giving up. Hinata could feel her body warming up. She had hoped the Uchiha would continue to deny what Sakura was ambiguously accusing them of. But now he looked relieved and this stirred a dormant beast deep within her bosom, one that she could only describe as pure anger. She wasn't ready for this. She couldn't' comprehend what the implications of Sasuke's surrender meant and how it related to her husband; her sweet, _honest,_ and gentle husband.

"What were those words for earlier, huh?" Sakura choked. Her eyes were bright with resentment. She stepped forward and pressed a finger into the middle of Sasuke's chest. "Something about being a good mother and wife." The poking finger turned into her whole hand and Sasuke was forced to take a step back. "Something about appreciation?" The pushing hand turned into a fist. "You brought me to the other side of the world for what Sasuke?" She slammed her fist onto his shoulder. "To soften the blow the moment you confessed to being a fucking faggot!"

Sasuke slapped her.

Everyone stood startled. Sakura's eyes were wide with shock. She slowly turned her head, but couldn't bring herself to face the man in front of her. Instead, she stepped away from the vehicle and turned to walk down the driveway. No one said a word as she traveled further and further away from the house following the road as it descended down the hill.

Hinata looked between Naruto and Sasuke and didn't know what to think. Sasuke had completely stepped over the line and she had expected Naruto to at least say something, but by the look on the blonde's face, it was obvious he felt he didn't have the right too. He was partially at fault for all this mess. Suddenly, hinata didn't feel like keeping her composure anymore. She pushed Naruto's hand off her shoulder. Her husband looked down at her in a panic.

"Hina."

"Don't," she said closing her eyes. She took a deep breath and held out her hand. "Just give me the keys."

Naruto reluctantly pulled the keys to the rental vehicle out of his coat pocket and handed them to his wife. He watched her closely, noticing the wrinkles on her forehead that only formed when she was very stressed.

The petite woman was quiet as she opened the door to the car, got inside, and started the engine. She rolled down the window to look at Sasuke and Naruto. They watched her closely. "You are a complete asshole," she angrily said to Sasuke, "Sakura deserves so much more than this." She turned her head to Naruto and paused when she noticed the tears streaming down his face. "I'm not gonna lie," she said, and she could feel her words twisting up in her throat. "I feel really disappointed Naruto."

Rolling up the window, she backed out the driveway and left.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch4

Tonight had proved itself to be an unexpected nightmare, Hinata thought as she peeled out of the Uchiha's residence. But she wouldn't allow her mind to process anything else beyond that basic fact. She would bury the pain she felt with all her other hurts and disappointments collected over the two decades she had been married to Naruto, and pray to kami-sama that the concealed stress wouldn't resurface in her later years as cancer or dementia. If it brought her any solace neither of the two men had actually confessed to having any kind of relations with each other beyond friendship…. but really, only a fool would choose to not read between the lines. Still, Hinata needed to hear a real confession from Naruto's lips before she plunged herself into a dark, emotional pit of despair.

As Hinata drove down the hill she could see the profile of a woman approaching a crosswalk that led to a bus stop. This woman was obviously a drunk Sakura. Hinata pressed her foot to the brake pedal and came to a clean stop several yards in front of where the Uchiha's wife had halted to take off her heels. The window hummed as it slid open and Hinata cautiously poked her head into the biting winter air. When the two women locked eyes with each other nothing had to be said. Sakura threw her expensive pumps (a Christmas gift from Sasuke) into a nearby bush and wobbled around the front of the car to open the passenger's side door.

"Hey" Hinata attempted a smile

"Hey" Sakura replied. There was no emotion in her tone, and her face looked deprived of any color; which could have been an effect of the cold, but Hinata doubted it. It was clear the Uchiha's wife had mentally checked out. Her empty expression made that strikingly clear. But who could blame her? Her husband had hit her.

Sakura tried to fasten her seatbelt. Hinata watched for several seconds, but after the drunkard's fourth attempt she leaned over and fastened it for her, hmphing in satisfaction when the buckle clicked.

"you know what?" The fair-haired woman asked just as Hinata took her foot off the brake.

The former Hyuuga gripped the steering wheel and turned onto the main road "what"

I shouldn't have tossed those shoes, she giggled, reaching her hand out to caress a section of the other woman's hair. "The fuck was I thinking? Those were Jimmy Choos."

The brunette sighed, keeping her eyes on the road. "Sakura, why don't you try taking a nap, hm?".

"Yeah, I think I can do that," she said letting the locks of dark hair sift through her fingers. She turned and noisily started to search for the small switch that made the car seat recline.

"Check the side," Hinata offered.

Sakura looked on the side closest to the door, "there you are; sneaky bitch," she huffed then proceeded to recline and incline her chair for the next five minutes until she found a spot that allowed her to doze off into a comfortable, snore-filled sleep.

As conveniently distracting as Sakura's snoring was Hinata preferred to fill her mind with something less grating and turned on the radio. She messed with the tuning until she came across a pop station, and surprisingly an American tune was playing, but it was nearly finished. The next song that came on was sung by a male whose voice was as smooth as velvet but the foreign language made it awkward to listen to. It wasn't bad it was just... German. But at this point, anything was better than the borderline feral noises coming out of Sakura's gaping mouth.

Now, the question was where should they go. It was around 10:45. The Hotel seemed like the most obvious place to turn to, but Hinata was feeling rather homesick. She pulled out her phone, and, just for the heck of it, checked to see flight times out of Dresden to Chicago. She pursed her lips when she saw that there was one flight for Chicago that departed at 12:30. The next one after that wasn't scheduled to depart till 6 in the morning.

"Hmm," she mused, "right about now it's 3pm in the states." She lifted her phone to her lips. "Call Neji-nisan." The phone dinged, obeying her command, and dialed the number. A moment later a deep voice came on the line sounding out of breath.

"Neji-ni?"

"Chotto matte," the voice replied back. There was a shuffling sound, followed by several other voices and a noise that could only be described as metal crashing against metal. "Gomen ne, I should be able to talk now."

"Ki ni shinaide. What are you doing?" Hinata asked.

"I'm at the gym."

"Oh, I guess it is that time right now in the states."

"3:15, everyday sharp."

Hinata wondered if she should pull over, the streets, while not too different from American roads, weren't the easiest to navigate through. And while she was an expert at multitasking the night's events left her mind numb and unresponsive.

"Mondai ga aru ka?"

Hinata blinked and cleared her throat. "I'm coming home early she announced," and didn't bother pulling to the side of the road. If they crashed it would sort of complete what was already a disastrous night.

"So something _is_ wrong," Neji affirmed more than he actually asked.

"Maa ne," the younger of the two cousins replied, and it was the only response she could give because anything else would have turned into a bubbling mess. Neji, her closest relative, had that effect on her. He was her greatest confidant and just hearing his voice made her want to profess the horrors of the night and how her husband of 20 something years was potentially cheating on her with his best friend.

"Is Naruto ok?"

"I-I don't know," she whispered. The look on his face right before she left was very unsettling.

"Ima, doko ni imasu ka?" Neji asked in a grave tone.

"It's ok," she quickly answered, we're safe, "I-I just need a favor."

There was a brief moment of silence and then Neji grunted. "What time is the flight and what airline?"

"12:30 am SAS."

"I should be able to pull some strings."

"I don't have my passport," Hinata, reluctantly added, wincing before Neji even replied.

"Hinata," he growled.

"And neither does Sakura." She was thankful to not be talking to her cousin in person because he was sure to be holding a terrifying frown.

"Uchiha?"

"Yes."

"Should I even ask?"

"Neji-ni can you just get us home?" Her voice was unashamedly laced with desperation.

There was another moment of silence. Hinata held fastly onto the steering wheel in anticipation.

"It's gonna cause a blow to my rapport with several (sigh) semi-important people, but it's nothing too unconventional."

Hinata let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Arigato."

"Hn, anything for my chiisai hime"

"Is that still a thing?" the former Hyuuga smiled softly.

"Of course."

"Ok, I'll call you when we've landed."

"Alright."

"Oh, and my vegetable-"

"Already picked and sorted,"

Hinata would have said I love you, but it was completely understood in the intimate moment of silence they both casually basked in. "Sore dewa, matane," she finally spoke.

"Ja ne,"

"Ja."

 **XxX**

By the time Hinata reached The Dresden City Airport it was half past 11. She hoped returning the car to the rental service wouldn't take up too much time because the passengers were expected to board the plane in less than a half an hour. As much as she trusted Neji to work his magic with the owners of SAS there wasn't a 100% guarantee the clerks at check-in would let her and Sakura waltz through security without a passport.

Oh, and then there was the fact that Sakura was still belligerently drunk.

"What the heck was I thinking," Hinata reprimanded herself while clenching the bottom of the steering wheel. She parked the small compact vehicle on the second level of the Rent-A-Car parking garage and slowly opened her door. Sakura groaned once the cold air hit her face and pulled her knees to her chest, using the bottom of her dress as a blanket; only, she failed to successfully cover herself and ripped a hole right down the middle of the skirt.

"That didn't sound good," Hinata tsked and patted down the front of her coat. She closed the door; flinching at the loud echo that followed. With a huff, she walked around the back of the vehicle.

"Let's get moving missy," Hinata ordered after she opened the passenger side door. "Or we're gonna miss our flight."

"Ly-n Bst rds…..," the other woman whimpered and Hinata leaned forward.

"What?"

"Lying bastards!" Sakura suddenly yelled, and Hinata barely dodged the fist that was swung at her head.

"Ok, so this is definitely not going to work," the brunette sighed then groaned in annoyance when she noticed a large slit on Sakura's dress that revealed a silky pair of red panties. There was no way she was going to able to carry the drunk woman through the front door without causing a huge a scene.

"Don't look at me like I'm some sort of crippled," the fair-haired woman bit out and attempted to push herself out of her seat, but she barely moved.

"Oh! That's it," Hinata perked up and patted Sakura on the head. "I'll be right back. Don't move," she ordered and pushed the drunk back into the car, but not before flipping on the child lock.

Several minutes later the brunette returned with a wheelchair. She peeked inside the passenger's side window and found that Sakura had once again passed out. "Yosh." Hinata gripped the door handle determined to get both herself and Sakura home.

It was difficult, but Hinata managed to pull the drunk woman out of the car and place her, somewhat gently, into the wheelchair. At this point, Sakura was completely unconscious; unflinching, even to the bursts of cold air that whirled inside the parking garage and swept against her skin. Hinata noticed the goosebumps on Sakura's legs and immediately took off her coat to cover the drunkard with it.

"Let's get inside," the former Hyuuga said to no one in particular and pushed the chair forward, ignoring the cold that made her ears feel like they were going to fall off. She pulled out her phone and read the time. It was a 11:50 which only gave them 10 minutes to walk through security and find their gate. There was no way she was going to be able to return the rental car. She would just have to find a Rent-a-Car center in the States and hand over the forms and keys to a manager. Or, she could just let Naruto figure it out. The car was rented out on his credit card anyway.

No, Hinata was not the type of person to be so irresponsible, but tonight she just really didn't give a fuck. That, and Neji would be downright livid if he had to go through the trouble of getting them a free flight (without a passport) only to find out that She and Sakura didn't make it in time.

Hinata was certain that the most important thing right now was getting on that plane, and thinking about that task alone alleviated her mind from the stress of contemplating her marriage.

When Hinata entered the airport she was immediately confronted by a male flight attendant with short brown hair and a large scar across the left side of his face. Before the man spoke she managed to read the nametag on his shirt. It said Raidou.

"Hinata Uzumaki?"

Hinata looked briefly around the lobby, noticing it to be fairly empty. "Um, yes that's me," she said.

"And this is the Uchiha's wife," he questioned pointing down at the woman in the wheelchair, who was sound asleep but snoring loudly.

Hinata blushed. "Yes."

"Is she ok?"

"Yah," the Uzamaki's wife nervously giggled, "She's just….um, had a long day."

Raidou narrowed his eyes. The fair-haired woman reeked of alcohol, but it was none of his business. "Follow me and quickly," he spoke and made a quick pivot to the security gate.

"Of course!"

Hinata pushed Sakura closely behind Raidou. With just the show of a badge, he was able to get the two of them through security fast. However, Hinata was worried about the clerks at customs and passport control.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna get you two in," Raidou suddenly announced as if reading Hinata's thoughts. "European airports aren't as strict as the ones in the U.S."

And apparently what Raidou confessed was true. After the man spoke with one of the officials at their station Hinata and Sakura were beckoned forward.

"We're so getting fired," the official groaned to Raidou as he allowed the two women to pass through a small gate.

"Tell me about it," Raidou rolled his eyes and followed behind the two females.

"Ok, Hinata. Here are your boarding passes. You're departing from gate B12. Now listen closely, when you get to O'hare you need to wait for a man named Genma to find you. He's going to be the one to get you guys through U.S. Customs."

"Thank you Raidou."

"No problem, but let me just be frank, there's like a 90% chance you're going to get arrested."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"Ha, I'm just kidding."The man slapped her playfully on the back. "It's more like a 75% chance." Hinata was not amused and stared worriedly at the flight attendant as he handed her two boarding passes.

"Get going," he shooed. "I'm pretty sure you're flight is boarding now."

 **xXx**

Sakura puked thirty minutes into the flight. Hinata had seen it coming, the drunkard had suddenly woken up from her deep slumber and made a face that Hinata knew would be followed with a horrific display of dry heaving and brown colored vomit. The next hour was spent in a very small washroom at the back of the plane where Hinata held Sakura's hair as she hugged the toilet.

The flight attendants were courteous enough to offer bottles of water and cans of ginger ale, but nothing could webb the effects of 90 proof moonshine. Sakura would just have to bear it until she got enough of it out of her system.

When it was all over the Uchiha's wife was soiled. Her dress was drenched in sweat and regurgitated pot roast and potatoes. Hinata wasn't sure what to do so she slipped the other woman's dress up over her head, patted her down with a wet paper towel, and wrapped her up in a winter coat. It was long enough and didn't reek of whiskey or moonshine.

Sakura was quick to fall into another deep sleep once she was escorted back to her seat. The whole plane was quiet, creating an atmosphere that seduced Hinata into an introspective mood.

The brunette couldn't deny how much of a struggle it was to accept the idea that Naruto had been- was, cheating on her. Wasn't their relationship ideal? Well, ideal enough within the circumstances of their life. Naruto was very busy, and while any other woman, for example, Sakura could easily build up 20 years of resentment for the lack of involvement at home, Hinata wasn't as bothered. No, she didn't like Naruto being gone, but being apart for extended periods of time made her love grow deeper for the blonde and kept her desire for him from waning. And Naruto didn't seem to feel any different. He would come home and shower her with love and affection until the day he had to leave for his next assignment. So what was the motive? If Naruto was, in fact, having an affair with Sasuke she just wanted to know why? Hinata didn't doubt her husband's love for her; so there had to be another viable reason for him to cheat on her.

 _But what if there wasn't?_

Hinata tried to ignore the part of her conscious that wanted to play devil's advocate, but that question seemed to replay itself in her mind until she was forced to think about the past 25 years of her life.

Hinata and Naruto dated when they were in High School. They met their freshman year, fell in love, and their relationship was, in most cases, the picture of perfect. Naruto was loud, popular, and obnoxious. Hinata was quiet, lovely, and reserved. Their personalities complemented each other very well; so they weren't prone to fight. In retrospect, Hinata suspected their lack of confrontation really bothered Naruto. Several times he had intentionally tried to pick a fight with her, but those fallouts never lasted more than a few hours. Even now the two of them never fought. Sure, Hinata got frustrated about certain things, more specifically in the few instances he made promises to the children and didn't keep them, but beyond that, they truly never fought. Physically they both were equally attracted to one another. In high school making out had been fun and comfortable. Naruto was always careful with her and respected her decision to remain a virgin until she felt ready. Today, they slept together with each other often. Naruto was always gentle, giving her his undivided attention. He made sure to make Hinata feel sexy, loved, and beautiful. Socially, Hinata always knew how to play the role of Naruto's significant other. In high school, she made sure to attend every sporting event he was involved in. After a brawl or a fight, she was always there to mend Naruto's wounds while lovingly reprimanding him. If she was ever over at his house while his friends were there she would go out of her way to play host, bringing the boys food and drinks. And the list went on. Naruto and Hinata were the epitomai of high school sweethearts, but like any teenage romance it always eventually comes to an end, and it did, for the four years Naruto went to college. Hinata had always planned to stay in Chicago for school, but Naruto was set on leaving the midwest and venturing out to other parts of the country; more specifically the west coast. Hinata had been very anxious about the idea of them going to school in different states. Naruto was a people magnet; so he was certain to meet all different types of people and make all different types of friends. They attempted to date the first year Naruto left, but when he came back the following summer, it was obvious he had changed, and they broke up. After that, she didn't see Naruto for three years; not until after he graduated.

When Hinata did see Naruto again it was at a Chicago Cubs game. She vividly remembered dropping her box of popcorn on a person's head the moment their eyes locked, however, at that time she recalled Naruto looking lost and hurt as if he was trying to recover from a broken hear-

Suddenly Hinata sat straight up in her seat. " a broken heart" she whispered to herself. The brunette's mind started spinning at a hundred miles an hour. Maybe everything had been right under nose the whole time, and she just didn't realize it. The year Naruto graduated he came home depressed, she reached out to him, they reconnected, and then that following winter they went to a wedding where she met Sasuke and Sakura for the first time. Hinata had always surmised Naruto had been in a relationship with someone during college, and when she was introduced to the Uchiha and his fiance she believed his love interest had been Sakura. For years Hinata had secretly hated the fair-haired woman because in her mind she was the reason Naruto broke up with her. And if Naruto had been in love with Sakura, he would obviously be hurt by her marrying someone else. But Now….

 _Has it been Sasuke this whole time?_

It kind of made sense. Naruto did decline Sasuke's request to be his best man at the wedding, claiming that Sasuke's brother Itachi was better equipped; and he was, but Naruto ended up not being in the wedding at all. At that time Hinata didn't know anything about Naruto's friends from college so she didn't catch the significance of Naruto refusing to be in the bridal party. But looking back on it, with the understanding that Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura had been very close those years the blonde lived in California, Naruto's refusal had been very significant. And now that Hinata was remembering Sakura and Sasuke's wedding she recalled that at one point during the reception Sasuke and Naruto had both simultaneously disappeared for about an hour.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she had to stop. Maybe it wasn't safe for her to try and put the pieces of Naruto and Sasuke's past together through her perspective. She got the feeling that was what Sakura had done and the result did not turn out in her favor.

She glanced over at the sleeping woman and sighed, delicately sweeping a strand of reddish blonde hair out of her eyes.

If she wanted the truth she would get it, and she would get it from her Husband. The whole truth.

 **XxX**

When the plane landed in Chicago it was dark outside, the time only being a quarter after midnight. Hinata didn't sleep during the whole flight; the past had dominated her thoughts keeping her on edge for almost seven hours. Sakura was awake but still somewhat drunk or hungover; possibly both. Her eyes were a shocking shade of crimson, and if it weren't for her large diamond earrings one would think she had strolled right out of a drug house.

"I'm never drinking moonshine again," she groaned and attempted to unbutton Hinata's coat from her body.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the brunette spoke as she stood out of her seat. "You're sort of Naked under there."

Sakura took a peek down the collar and scratched the top of her head. "How?" She asked.

Hinata shook her head too exhausted to answer.

"By the way…. where the hell are we? Are we on a plane?" Sakura's eyes widened when she realized they were in fact on a plane.

"We're in Chicago."

Sakura blinked, "Ok, I am so fucking confused."

"Just get up Sakura," Hinata replied grabbing the woman by her arm. Sakura reluctantly obeyed. However, the moment she stood her line of sight became a blur and she had to lean on the smaller female for support.

"Are you gonna be ok?" Hinata asked as she assisted Sakura off the plane.

"Take me to a bathroom please."

For twenty minutes Hinata, once again, found herself holding sakura's hair away from her face as she hugged the toilet.

It was a struggle to get Sakura off the floor and out of the restroom, but once they were out a man with an amused look in his eyes, and a toothpick in his mouth, seemed to be waiting for them outside the door.

"Uchiha and Uzumaki?"

"Yes," Hinata answered. Sakura just burped.

"Right this way."

They followed the man down a corridor and two flights of stairs. Hinata wondered if they would have to go through another round of customs. Raidou had said there was a 75% chance they were going to get arrested, this, of course, made her feel very uneasy. When they reached border control the man with the toothpick stopped and told them to wait. Hinata was doing her best to support Sakura, but she wasn't going to be able to hold the majority of her body weight much longer.

"Sakura," Hinata hissed. "You're gonna have to let up just a little bit."

The fair-haired woman groaned.

"Ok ladies, this way," the man said when he came back and motioned them forward.

Sakura removed her arm from around Hinata's shoulder and attempted to stand up straighter.

"Oh, my God. Thank you," the brunette moaned while rubbing the space between her shoulder and her neck.

Going through passport control the second time around was not as simple as it had been in Dresden. The official at this post was relentless in his questioning, and Hinata felt almost certain that she was going to jail. Bust just when it seemed that a brigade of police officers were about to be called to take her away, the customs official allowed her to pass through the gate and didn't say anything more. Hinata walked through without a second's notice.

When Sakura walked through the gate she was all but being carried by the man who had the toothpick in his mouth. Sakura watched with her mouth slightly open in shock.

"I am so sorry for the trouble," she said and ran to take up Sakura's free arm.

"Tch," the man scoffed. "Don't apologize to me, I'm not the one who allowed her back into the states."

"Genma is it?" Hinata asked looking over at the stranger,

"Great, you know my name."

"I'll be sure to put in a good word for you."

"Really, I'd rather you didn't."

"Um, thank you."

"Sure thing toots. You be sure to get this drunk out of the airport before she causes you a real problem," he said as they traveled down another corridor

"It's just a hangover thank you very much," Sakura scoffed.

Genma unhooked the fair-haired woman from around his shoulder. "Whatever, your chauffeur is somewhere here at the baggage claim. The best of luck to you," and just like that Genma was gone.

"Fucking Douche," Sakura cursed as she watched him leave.

Hinata rolled her eyes. "Were home," she announced, and she didn't really feel the effect of her words until she caught sight of her cousin standing near the exit on the opposite side of the room.

"Come on," she sighed as she, with the last ounce of her strength, pulled on Sakura's arm.

"I'm coming, goodness, what is it?" The other woman complained.

"We're finally home," the former Hyuuga grinned tiredly. "We're finally home."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Sorry for the prolonged update. I have been really busy with summer school and just haven't found the time to sit down and post. The chapter after this will be the conclusion to part one of this story. There will be 4 parts in all. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and or made the decision to follow my story. Please keep reviewing and feel free to tell me what your thoughts are on the plot. I also want to make a note that the children are indeed going to be making their debut. I know it seems like its taking a while for them to be incorporated into the plot, but I assure you they will be present and it will be... ughh, you know. (How do you think a child would respond to such an affair? O_O You will find out soon.

Last thing: When the Hyuugas get together they primarily speak in Japanese; So while you may be reading their conversations in english just note that they are speaking in japanese to each other.

Ch5

Hinata was weary of the look on Neji's face. The man, much like Sasuke Uchiha, was very stoic. But occasionally, depending on the circumstance, the older Hyuuga would lower his guard and express himself openly. It was obvious he was annoyed. Sakura was in the process of trying to find the most comfortable sleeping position in the back seat of his Porsche, and as a result, her feet were rubbing against the leather interior and leaving streaks of dirt in their wake. Neji's glare was intense. And had the fair-haired woman bothered to notice the burning reflection of his pale eyes through the rearview mirror, it was possible she would have come to her senses and sat properly in her seat; that, or turn to stone.

"She's hungover." Hinata offered as if that would quell Neji's growing grudge.

"Is she now?" the man replied sarcastically. "And here I thought she was just a simple basket case."

"Nii-san." Hinata reprimanded, but she was less than serious.

"Why am I witnessing the aftermath of what was obviously a wild night?"

The small female sighed. "Wild isn't exactly the word I would use to describe what happened."

"Ok, so then how would you describe it?"

Hinata turned to look at her cousin whose hands were wrapped around the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white. "I don't want to talk about it right now," she wisely decided. Neji was already pissed, hearing the news of Naruto and Sasuke's suspected affair would only make him more furious, and well, there's nothing more dangerous than an enraged Hyuuga in a confined space.

"Can you at least tell me why the drunk bimbo is here?"

"You know I can hear you, right? " Sakura interjected. She was now lying flat on her back with an arm thrown over her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man scoffed. "Hinata can you please tell me why the drunk bimbo is here?" He asked louder.

"Hinata, this man is rude."

"Neji, she's not a bimbo. She's just...troubled." Hinata shrugged, and it was as much as she could say to defend Sakura's reputation as a respectable person. If the past 7 hours had not been something like a first class trip through hell, it was possible she would have come up with a more elaborate excuse to explain Sakura's outlandish behavior, but she was just too mentally and physically tired.

"Troubled, tch." Neji rolled his eyes. "Well that's no excuse for her to be fucking up the interior of my car," he mumbled.

Sakura groaned and reluctantly sat up. She crossed her arms over her chest and reciprocated Neji's glare through the reflection of the rearview mirror. "My apologies," she bit out.

"Ki ni shinaide," the man curtly responded and returned his gaze to the road. Neji didn't ask any more questions or make any more comments so the car ride was quickly overcast with a dense silence.

For the next several minutes Hinata's mind tried to run on empty, forcing her to conceive more theories on Sasuke and Naruto's relationship. But she was at her limit. If something didn't distract her soon she was going to break, and there was no telling what that would look like. She wasn't the type to "lose it," so it was hard to imagine that the result of her having a mental breakdown wouldn't be minorly catastrophic. Her fingers traced over the door handle and up along the base of a small, open compartment. There was a button that controlled the side mirror outside. She pressed it a few times, angling the mirror closer to the car until Sakura could be seen frowning in the back seat. The fair-haired woman's forehead was pressed against the window, and her cheeks were stained with tears. The devastation Sakura felt was so obvious it caused Hinata's heart to ache.

This was not the distraction she was looking for.

Suddenly, a subdued, light-jazz, melody flooded out of the speakers and Hinata could hear her cousin shift away from the radio. _Too fitting,_ she thought as she leaned back into her seat. In the distance, Hinata could see the skyline of the city, and words could not describe the comfort it brought her. She felt safe as if all the woe and grief Germany had brought her were far away. This was obviously untrue, but for now, she would pretend everything was ok and ignore the ache in her heart and the quiet tears trickling down Sakura's cheeks. She would close her eyes, and allow the overwhelming desire to sleep drift her off into oblivion.

 **XxX**

Sakura didn't want to remember.

Alcohol, at the time, had seemed like the perfect antidote to the trauma she had experienced on the balcony in Germany. It was supposed to make her forget. But as sobriety crashed over her in waves akin to migraines, all she could remember was Sasuke desperately kissing his best friend in the middle of their adulterous, lover's quarrel

 _I don't deserve this_ she thought as she wiped several tears from her eyes. For years she had been loyal and faithful to the Uchiha; so why would he do this to her? Was there something wrong with her?

Sure, she had pursued him relentlessly in the past, but he was the one to ask her out on a first date. He was the one who proposed.

Didn't Sasuke love her?

But then the memory of him on the balcony admitting to selfishly wanting Naruto all to himself, in spite of both their current marriages, replayed itself in her mind and she had to turn her head and rest it against the cool window to keep herself from feeling nauseous. Sasuke had betrayed her, and it seemed he had done it willingly; unashamedly even. So what did it all mean? If Sasuke had no problem cheating on her, what did it say about her self-worth?

Was she worthless?

If Sakura didn't stop this line of thinking she was sure to succumb to a crippling sorrow. It wasn't like she caught Sasuke with another woman. The other perpetrator was Naruto; their closest friend. So there had to be more to the whole situation. But the thought that there might be a history behind what she saw was heart-wrenching, and the result of learning a past truth could also cripple her with a deep sadness.

Maybe it would have been better to find Sasuke with another woman.

"Uchiha," the voice of Hinata's cousin caused Sakura to leave her thoughts and lean off the window. She looked forward and found Hinata's cousin once again staring at her through the rearview mirror.

"Where am I taking you?" He asked.

If Sakura was honest with herself she didn't feel like going home to her big empty house. The loneliness, along with the pain of what she had witnessed, would only concoct more self-destructive behavior. "If it isn't too mu-" she stopped herself to reconsider her next words carefully. Neji didn't seem like the type to be empathetic. "Actually, Hinata invited me over to stay the night at her place. We left Germany so abruptly there was no time for me to grab my things, so I don't have the keys to my house." While it was a lie that Hinata had invited her over to stay the night, Sakura truly didn't have her house keys. There were other ways Sakura could get into her house, but that was beside the point. Neji blinked then turned onto an exit that would lead them close to Michigan Ave.

Chicago was always a sight to be held and Sakura found a moment of solace glancing out her window to look upon the tall, steel-cladded skyscrapers that shined like beacons in the night. Hinata's home was located on Monroe Street in a massive building adjacent to a parking garage. Neji drove the car all the way to the top and parked. The lot was completely empty. Without saying a single world Neji unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the vehicle. He walked around the front and opened the back door where Sakura was seated then proceeded to open Hinata's door on the passenger's side. When Sakura stepped out she immediately noticed the greenhouse on the other building. It was lit up and appeared to be having its own private rainfall.

"Is that where we're going?" she asked, pointing towards the glass structure. The wind blew and she could feel her very naked body responding in protest, especially her feet which were bare and sore.

"Yes," Neji answered while scooping his cousin out of the car. He carried her toward an entrance that looked something like a door to a massive elevator, but really it opened up to a small sky bridge. The bridge connected the parking garage to the neighboring property.

"This way," Neji instructed as he reached the end of the corridor. Sakura followed him down a spiral staircase that led to the second and third floors of the house. She likened the interior of the building to a large, modern, Japanese loft. Dark, wooden floors contrasted against white, brick walls. The kitchen was a wide open space with stainless steel appliances and a plethora of cabinets made out of bamboo. Two large shoji screens divided the kitchen from the living room. The living room held several egg-shell-colored pieces of furniture, a coffee table, and two side tables. In the dining room, more shoji screens lined the walls. On the floor was an egg-shell-colored carpet, and a long, low seated table was placed in the middle of the room. It had several white cushions littered all around it.

"So this is the Uzumaki household," Sakura whispered to herself as she stepped off the stairwell and walked into the kitchen. Neji had disappeared with Hinata somewhere on the bottom level of the house; so she sat quietly at the kitchen table, content to finally be warming up. Several minutes later Neji reappeared with a bag of toiletries, a towel, and a folded purple gown. "These are for you," he said and placed the items in front of Sakura.

"Thank you," she replied and gathered the objects into her arms. She looked up at Hinata's cousin and suddenly felt uncomfortable. Neji's eyes seemed frighteningly pale, cold, and full of judgment. Also, the only thing keeping the man from seeing her undergarments was a winter coat which was about a size and a half too small.

"Why are you here?" he suddenly asked. His arms were folded across his chest and his mouth held a straight line. He reminded Sakura of Sasuke; which, at the moment, was not particularly a good thing.

"Aren't Hyuuga's known for their hospitality," She mumbled to herself and dropped her gaze towards the table.

"If I had a legitimate reason to be hospitable then I would be. Right now I don't."

God, was this man rude! Sakura could hardly believe he was related to Hinata whose kindness and generosity was probably on par with the late Mother Teresa. Sakura sighed, lifting her head. The expression on her face was full of anger. "Honestly, I don't know why I'm here. One minute I was walking in the snow somewhere in Germany, the next minute I'm on a plane in Chicago."

"Hinata says you're hungover."

"And what if I am? How does my current state affect you in any way?"

"It doesn't, but, I'm well aware that something is wrong. Why else would Hinata have me risk my job to get the two of you back into the states; and on such short notice. I know the kind of work Naruto and Sasuke are involved in; so I can only assume the worst."

Sakura shook her head. "It isn't like that. No one's life is in danger."

Neji seemed to relax upon hearing that Hinata wasn't in trouble with bad people. His arms uncrossed from his chest and fell to his sides. "Even so, that still doesn't answer my question."

"Why am I here?"

Neji blinked.

"Our husbands are cheating on us," Sakura said bluntly. There seemed to be no point beating around the bush with this man. He clearly had a low tolerance for anyone who wasn't a part of the Hyuuga bloodline.

Neji blinked again, but it was fast and uncoordinated as if someone had flashed a bright light into his face.

Sakura dropped the toiletries, towel, and nightgown into her lap. "I found Sasuke and Naruto fighting and kissing each other….. and well, I guess the rest is self-explanatory."

Neji leaned forward until his hands rested on the table, and then with the back of his foot he pushed the chair out from under the table and took a seat. His mouth was no longer in a straight line, and the cold look in his eyes dissipated into something unreadable.

"I-I don't know what to make of th," he stuttered. "Actually, I don't even think I believe it."

"Well, It's fucking true!" Sakura snapped.

Neji flinched then slowly tucked a strand of long hair behind his ear.

"I have no reason to lie about it," Sakura continued, "and I can hardly believe it myself, but it's the truth. Naruto and Sasuke are in some kind of romantic relationship, and have been for who knows how long!" She was crying again, but it couldn't be helped. Her emotions were all over the place, and she didn't have the resolve to control how she felt.

The Hyuuga took a deep breath. He was confused and not completely convinced of what he was hearing. It was just too bizarre and unexpected, but it wasn't impossible. "You know what, you've had a long flight." He pointed to a hallway just beyond the living room. "At the end of that hall and to the left is a spare bedroom. Go and get some rest."

Sakura wiped her nose. She stood to her feet and walked slowly out of the kitchen. Neji watched her back as she left.

Sakura didn't even know if she could fall back asleep at this point. She felt like shit and her mind had become something like a mental prison, replaying the memory of Naruto and Sasuke on the balcony over and over again. The guest room was just as extravagant as the rest of the house, but even that wasn't enough to distract her thoughts. She opened the door to the bathroom and was pleased to find an overhead shower. She unbuttoned Hinata's coat and let it slip off her shoulders. Her back was to the mirror, and for some reason, Sakura found it difficult to turn and face it. She was aware she looked terrible, she had caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom at Ohare, but this was different. She was sober now and consciously aware of everything that had happened and was happening.

Tears again.

They just wouldn't stop. Would they ever stop? What kind of heartbreak was this? It was as if someone was physically trying to rip away what remained of her dignity.

Sasuke was cheating on her.

Sasuke had hit her.

Still, she adored him with her whole heart. Hadn't there always been a chance he would hurt her; destroy her confidence? From the day she met the brooding Uchiha, she knew pursuing a relationship with him would be dangerous. But twenty years had passed. She was supposed to be in the clear. However, the benign tumor that was her love for the Uchiha was finally manifesting into the cancer she had hoped it would never be.

 **XxX**

Hinata woke up to the familiar scent of freshly brewed green tea. She groaned as she tossed herself in the direction of the smell, reaching out towards the nightstand to wrap her hands around a small mug.

"I'm home," she moaned and stretched. The tea proved it. Neji was obviously the one who had made it, and it seemed he was the one who had laid her in her bed because she could not recall making the trip herself. Hinata sat up, resting her back on the headboard. She wrapped both of her hands around the small glass and took several sips of the hot beverage, allowing the steam to fill up her sinuses and release a tension she was unaware had even existed

She wanted to pretend the entire trip to Germany had been a dream, but the ache in her chest was all too real. Reluctantly, she opened the drawer to the nightstand and pulled out her cellphone. She pressed the home button and the screen flickered on revealing she had over 40 missed calls and 15 voicemails from Naruto. Somehow, this didn't make her feel any less anxious. If Naruto wanted to talk he would just have to come home. She looked at the clock and was shocked to find it was past 10:00 am. This was the first time in years she had slept in past 6 in the morning, and if Neji hadn't brought down the tea there was no telling how much longer she would have stayed in bed.

"I'm getting up" she announced and pulled the cup back up to her mouth, rubbing the top of her lip against the rim. Or maybe she would just sit like this for a little while longer. She didn't want to rush because she didn't have it all together. Hinata felt like a bomb ready to go off, but it was hard to say what would trigger it. She looked at the clock again and sighed, but 10 am was so late.

"I'm getting up," she said out loud again and threw her feet over the side of the bed. She was still in her dress from the night before, but instead of taking it off she walked out of her room and towards the staircase. From where she stood she could hear voices speaking in her native tongue. Suddenly, Hinata didn't know if getting out of bed had been such a good idea. Slowly she started climbing the stairs, and when she reached the kitchen she was greeted by two sets of piercing, white eyes.

"Ohayo hime Sama!". Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister, waved. She had a glass of coffee in her hand and a bagel in the other. Neji was holding a glass of orange juice; his expression completely blank.

"Ohayo," Hinata answered back staring. It wasn't often that Hinata saw Neji and Hanabi in the same room. The two never really got along, and while both of them had their own guest room in the house, they would both make sure that the other would not be around before they ever decided to come over or stay the night. If the two of them were ever together it was usually to discuss a very important family matter. And Hinata wasn't dense. Clearly, they both were concerned about her leaving Germany early. She wondered how much they actually knew.

"Well, are you going to sit?" Neji said pointing to the chair at the end of the kitchen table.

"Did you really sleep in that dress?" Hanabi tsked. "Hina, you know better. Give me your expensive clothing if all you're going to do is ruin them."

Hinata could only inwardly sigh and run her fingers through her hair. Without saying a word she moved forward and placed her cup down on the table. She slowly pulled out her chair and took a seat.

Neji and Hanabi didn't say anything as she sat. They just stared. Hinata stared back at them. What were they expecting her to say? She wasn't going to just blurt out her business. But if they needed her to start the discussion then she would.

"When did you get here Hanabi?" she asked. The woman was dressed in black and grey, plaid, pajama pants and a loose, white, graphic tee. It was obvious she had slept over.

"Late, like 2 am. I had a pretty wild night on the town; brought home a friend. Only, nothing happened on account there was a strange lady in my bed." Hanabi bit into her bagel. Neji glared. He disapproved of almost everything Hanabi did. And for the most part, his disapproval was valid. Hanabi was in her late thirties yet acted as if she was still in college. Her immaturity brought a lot of shame to the Hyugga name, but Hanabi honestly could have cared less. She was a free spirit and the proud black sheep of the family.

"You brought a friend over?" Hinata took another sip from her mug? Are you dating this friend?"

"Sorta, were kind of in an open relationship."

" I do not want to hear about this," Neji claimed. "We are not sitting together at this table to talk about your promiscuous escapades."

Hanabi scoffed, her mouth hanging wide open. Hinata had to block the grin on her face with her mug.

"It's not funny Hinata, in fact, I'm surprised there's even a glimpse of a smile on your face, considering what happened not even 24 hours ago," The man scolded.

Hinata's grin instantly disappeared. Neji watched her closely as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Well, What do you have to say?"

Hinata looked aimlessly into her mug, watching the tea ripple out in small circular waves as she breathed over the surface. This was her opportunity to break down, to cry and scream, and confess to the world how much she was doubting Naruto. However, she couldn't bring her lips to move.

The eldest Hyuuga watched his cousin impatiently, waiting to hear an explanation, but all he got was silence.

"Hm, how curious," Hanabi said scratching her thigh and taking another sip of her coffee.

"I think she's in shock," Neji speculated, reaching out to snap his fingers in front of Hinata's face.

"To be honest Hina, I don't even know what's going on; I'm simply here for support because Neji says I'm useless for anything else."

"Hmm, maybe it isn't shock. It might be denial," Neji continued, ignoring his youngest cousin.

"Well then hime, which one is it? Shock or denial?" Hanabi asked and crossed her legs. She seemed to be quickly losing interest in whatever was happening.

"It could be both," Neji surmised rubbing the bottom of his chin.

"Quit acting like you're solving some sort of murder mystery, and tell me why you woke me up to play family support system to my sister who is clearly unable to say why she returned from Europe!"

Neji narrowed his eyes as he turned away from Hinata. "Do not use such informal language with me."

"Or what?"

Neji crossed his arms, his face becoming dark and solemn.

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Oh, no! It's the O'l Neji Hyuuga death glare. I should probably go run and hide now right?"

Hinata watched as her family continued to fight. Neither one of them was taking the issue of her cheating husband seriously, and while Hinata knew she should be frustrated, she honestly felt nothing. To be fair, she speculated Neji only knew an inkling of what had happened in Germany, and Hanabi had confessed to knowing nothing. Still, the two of them were behaving too casually for the severity of the subject. Hinata realized she felt numb which was why she didn't care to talk, however, something had to be said or else she would wind up trying to store her hurt into the deep crevices of her subconscious mind. But such a wound was just too large to repress. There really wasn't a place in her mind for it to go, therefore she had to talk.

"I think Naruto is cheating on me," she muttered.

Neither Hanabi or Neji heard Hinata's small voice; so she tried again.

"I think Naruto is cheating on me with Sasuke."

Still nothing.

Frustrated Hinata placed her cup of tea on the table and stood to her feet.

"Hanabi and Neji!" she snapped.

Both Hyuugas stopped arguing to turn and look at Hinata.

"What?" they both asked in unison.

"I think my husband is cheating on me with another man!"

If Hinata wasn't upset with the fact she had to blurt something so shameful out loud, she may have been amused by the looks on Hanabi's and Neji's faces.

"Did I hear you correctly?" Hanabi uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.

Neji cleared his throat, appearing to be disturbed.

"I'm not sure if it's true. Sakura is the one who witnessed…..something. Even now I'm not sure what she saw, but when we confronted Sasuke and Naru-"

"Wait a second, did you just say Sasuke!" Hanabi interrupted, slamming her coffee on the table and standing to her feet.

All three of them were standing now

"Hanabi calm down, and let her finish," Neji interjected.

"Are you telling me that Naruto is fucking Sasuke?"

Hinata closed her eyes, wincing at her sister words. That was a terrible way to phrase it.

"Hanabi give her a chance to finish talking, please," Neji pleaded, finally feeling the weight of Hinata's burden. He looked at the older of the two siblings and reached out to grab both of her arms.

"Go ahead Chisai Hime, tell us what happened," he spoke softly, giving her his full attention

Hanabi could barely hold her temper, but she forcibly composed herself, using the back of her chair as a hand grip to release some tension.

"I'm not sure," Hinata continued. "As I said, Sakura is the one who saw something; however when she confronted the two of them neither of them denied her accusations."

"So it's true?" Hanabi stated, her nails digging into the wood of the seat.

"I-I don't know," Hinata shook her head and looked down. Neji immediately pulled her into his chest, rubbing the back of her head. He sighed heavily. "I'm gonna fucking kill him," he bit out in a deep voice.

"Not if I do it first," Hanabi growled.

"Please, let's not make this into a bigger problem than it already has become. Besides all of this, Hatake called Sasuke while we were in Germany. So there's a possibility the two of them aren't going to be home for a while. Right now... I-I feel completely lost, and I just need the two of you to be sane. Because I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to keep myself together."

Both Neji and Hanabi were quiet after Hinata's response. It was unsettling to see her so distraught. The last time either of them had seen Hinata so upset was at Hiashi Hyuuga's funeral. And her father had died almost a decade ago. "What do you want us to do?" Neji offered. He gently pushed her back to look down at her face.

"Let's just wait till we know the whole truth," she answered, twiddling her thumbs together.

This was a nervous tick Neji hadn't seen Hinata do since they were children.

Hanabi noticed it too and glanced up at her cousin. The two of them locked eyes with each other and nodded.

They were going to get to the bottom of this.

Suddenly, there was a sound of a door opening and a pair of feet running down the staircase. Neji, Hanabi, and Hinata all turned and looked over to find a dumbfounded Himawari Uzumaki standing at the front of the kitchen.

"Who died?" she asked, her posture completely stiff. Her eyes were wide and full of confusion; with a hint of anxiousness.

For a beat, no one responded then Hanabi finally spoke saying. "Where did you come from?"

Himawari slid her hand across the bottom of the stair railing. "A friend's house...but shouldn't I be asking you that question?" she said, tilting her head to the side. "And mom shouldn't you be in Germany?"

Hinata slowly removed herself out of Neji's grasp to walk over and pull her daughter into a huge embrace.

"Are you crying?" Himawari asked in a small panic as she felt her shoulder becoming wet.

"Don't worry honey. Mom is just really happy to see you is all."

"Ok, I'm almost positive now something is wrong," Himawari responded while rubbing her mother's back.

"And why is that?" Hinata asked and took a step back. She rubbed a lone tear from her eye and smiled.

"Well, for one," she started and took a few steps towards the kitchen table, "you're not in Germany. And you're crying as if you haven't seen me in months when really it's been less than a week. Two, Hanabi looks as if she's about to Hulk out and break that chair. And three, as much as we all know Occhan loves mom, he would never so casually touch you unless the situation called for you to be touched and or embraced. So, would someone please enlighten me on what exactly is going on?"

Neji placed his fists on his hips. His niece took a lot more after him then he would have liked to admit

"She has a point," Hanabi shrugged.

"There's is nothing going on that is of your concern," Neji answered.

"Is dad dead?" Himawari abruptly asked. Her face was serious, and her body was tense.

"No! Of course not!" Hinata quickly responded.

Himawari's expression didn't change. "Is he hurt? Lost? trapped?"

"Tch, he's gonna be," Hanabi mumbled.

"What?" The young Uzumaki looked over at her aunt.

"Look," Neji spoke up, taking a deep breath. "Your dad is ok. There's nothing you need to worry about."

"Then why is mom home?" She said, crossing her arms.

"Because of me," Sakura answered as she wandered out of the hallway to stand next to Hanabi.

"Sakura? Mrs. Uchiha?" Himawari and Hinata spoke at the same time.

"She speaks Japanese," Hinata's daughter partially stated, pursing her lips.

"Something weird happened at the bank, identity theft related," Sakura continued. "I had to come back home immediately to fix and validate several of our accounts before they closed them. Your mom is emotional because her time with your dad was cut short that's all." The Uchiha's wife yawned stretching her arms in the air.

Everyone with Hyuuga blood looked at the fair-haired woman as if she were an alien from another planet.

"Are you wearing my clothes?" Hanabi narrowed her eyes.

Sakura grabbed the bottom of the tunic shirt she was wearing. It was long, black, and she wore a pair of black leggings under it. Her hair was wet, combed back, and on the top of her head were a pair of round, black, Rayban sunglasses.

"That's it, I've had enough of this nonsense today, everyone, upstairs," Neji commanded pointing towards the staircase.

"What for?" Hanabi questioned.

"Don't ask just put some shoes on, grab a coat from the closet, and move."

For a moment everyone remained still.

"Let's go!" he barked. And Slowly all the females started to make their way to the closet, each one slipping on a pair of shoes and a coat, except for Himawari who had never taken hers off.

"You can wear this one for the day, Sakura," Hinata said as she handed the taller female a black peacoat.

"To the car, now!" Neji declared. as he stomped up the stairs.

"But I just got here," Himawari whined.

"Can I at least change out of this dress Nii-san?" Hinata asked while pressing out the wrinkles in the skirt.

"No," he said. "Just get to the car."

Hinata released a deep breath and dragged herself to the entrance of the sky bridge.

As they walked to the parking garage, Sakura leaned over and whispered "your cousin's rude" into Hinata's ear.

 **XxX**

"Where are you taking us Neji-ni?" Hinata asked as her cousin practically drifted his vehicle out of the parking lot and onto the street. Hinata could tell he was aggravated and overstimulated by the chaos that seemed to be brewing within her own life.

"You have a choice," he announced. "North Bridge or Water Tower?"

"Really, you're taking us shopping?" Hanabi asked in the back seat. Every once in a while she would give Sakura a side glance and make a strange face. She didn't like the fact that the older woman was wearing her clothes, and she was curious about what Sakura saw in Germany.

"Ochaan, you're such a sexist!" Himawari railed. "Just because we're women you shouldn't assume that shopping is going to distract us from our problems." She pulled lightly on her seatbelt.

"Actually, I've been needing to buy a salt cellar and some oven stones for my kitchen," Sakura said adjusting the sunglasses on her head.

"Hmm, I also have been wanting to buy some things for my kitchen as well; more specifically a new. carbon steel wok," Hinata chimed in.

"In that case forget the mall. Take us to 53rd street," Sakura commanded.

"Oh, that's where Freehling is right? Pot and Pan Co?" The Former Hyuuga turned in her seat to look back at Sakura. She was mildly excited.

"Hinata you know you're boutiques," Sakura grinned, genuinely impressed. "I would have never guessed."

Himawari sighed, her previous statement now completely invalid.

"See I'm not a sexist Himawari," Neji smirked. "I'm just informed."

"Quit being a cheeky bastard," Hanabi complained. " And if all we're gonna do is shop for pots and pans you can drop me off on a street corner right now," she said while looking out the window.

"We're not dropping you off on a street corner Hanabi," Hinata responded. "I'm certain there's a cafe next door that sells good coffee and tea. You and Himawari can get some while we're there."

"That's just what we Japanese folk need. More tea," the younger of the two siblings retorted sarcastically.

Hinata rolled her eyes then proceeded to give Neji directions to the kitchen boutique. Somehow taking a shopping trip seemed to help Hinata and Sakura think about other things. Hinata decided she was thankful that her cousin had forced them to leave the house. However, she felt together as a group they looked quite unsightly. Hanabi was still in her pajamas while Sakura resembled something like a gothic hipster. Hinata was still in her wrinkled, dinner, party dress, and Neji and Himawari looked normal in their casual Saturday clothing.

Neji stopped the car in front of the shop then claimed to be back in an hour. His plans were unknown to everyone, but Hinata guessed he was going to run by his office to check on some things.

Hanabi and Himawari were the first to step out of the car, and they immediately spotted the cafe which sat directly next to the kitchen boutique. "We're gonna go get some Gelato mom," Himawari called out as she grabbed a hold of her aunt's arm.

"Ok, just stop by and tell me if you wanna walk anywhere else."

"Sure thing."

"Hanabi keep an eye on her. And please," Hinata gave her sister a serious look that Hanabi immediately understood as: _keep your mouth shut about Naruto._

"Come on Hanabi," Himawari laughed as she pulled even harder on her aunt's coat sleeve.

Sakura and Hinata watched them as they entered the cafe. The fair-haired woman took a deep breath and slipped her hands inside the pockets of the coat she was borrowing.

"How ya holding up?" the smaller woman asked, turning slightly towards the building.

"I'm not good," Sakura confessed, rocking on her heels. "I mean, I'm no longer hung over if that's what you're asking, but I'm still processing everything that happened." The wind blew and she turned her head to avoid the cold rush of air. "Being here is a nice distraction, but I'd rather much be drinking a whole bottle of wine right now."

Hinata nodded, "hm, maybe I'll join you this time."

Sakura was slightly taken aback by Hinata's response, but it would be foolish to think this wasn't affecting her too. "Sorry for staying over. I just-"

"No, don't apologize," Hinata interjected, lifting up her hand. " It's not an issue at all. I'm glad you stayed."

"Well, that's good to know. I'm almost certain your cousin hates my guts."

"Did you say anything to him?"

"We talked a little, but our conversation ended the moment I burst into tears."

"So you told him about Sasuke and Naruto?"

Sakura shrugged. "I felt like I had to otherwise he would have kicked me out of the house."

Hinata made a face that Sakura wasn't sure how to interpret. "I guess that explains why he wanted to have a family meeting this morning," she said tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry."

"I would have told Neji regardless. Hanabi, on the other hand," Hinata shook her head, "well, I'm sort of wary of her knowing anything that is going on in my life. At times she just doesn't have any tact. I just hope word of all of this doesn't get to my family before I get a full explanation from Naruto."

"Right."

There was a small moment of silence where both Hinata and Sakura stopped and allowed the noises of the city to fill their heads.

"Shall we?" Sakura eventually spoke up and pushed open the door of the boutique.

"I'm right behind you," Hinata replied and followed her inside.

The more time Sakura spent with Hinata the more she started to realize they had the ability to communicate with one another without talking. Somehow she knew the two of them had made a silent pact to not talk about Germany as they shopped and walked around the city with Hanabi and Himawari. Instead, they had several in-depth conversations about things; like where they grew up, their hobbies, and what their children were like when growing up. It felt nice; like a carefree afternoon. But anxiety often sits on you like a second skin. So while the experience was nice, both women felt as if they could break at any moment.

At around 12:30 Neji called Hanabi and informed her that he would regroup with all of them at the cafe next door to the kitchen boutique. So they decided to sit down and enjoy a light lunch while they waited. To Hinata's horror, Hanabi had put it upon herself to give Himawari dating advice. Her ideas of courtship were like something out of the raunchy articles of cosmopolitan.

Sakura watched Hinata interact with her family and couldn't help but smile. She was an only child and never had to practice bantering tactics. Surprisingly, Hinata held her own against Hanabi whose sarcasm was dreadful yet annoyingly witty. Himawari was too smart for her own good, only speaking when she wanted to pitch in certain technicalities about complex topics.

It wasn't until Himawari brought up her mom's nomination as next year's PTA president that the conversation started to drawl. Hinata was reluctant to talk about it, still embarrassed about the entire situation. Neji returned just as Hanabi started to give her older sister proposal ideas. Hinata practically jumped out of her seat to get into her cousin's car.

For the next several hours the five of them drove around the city shopping at various malls. If it wasn't Chicago people would have paid more attention to the fact that the group of them looked odd in their various outfits. By 5 o'clock, Himawari and Hanabi were complaining about their stomachs growling.

Neji suggested eating dinner at some high-end restaurant, however, after some aggressive convincing on Himawari's part, they ended up dining in at Giordano's.

"After living here for so long there really isn't anything special about eating Chicago deep dish pizza. It all tastes the same no matter where you go," Neji groused as he looked through the menu.

"You're only saying that because you're Japanese," Hanabi explained with a snarky grin on her face.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, looking at her as if she were an idiot.

"Clearly our taste buds are more accustomed to rice-based dishes and fish. You should consider their gluten-free options and anchovies."

"Please Hanabi, just stop talking please." Hinata covered her hand with her face.

"Is that supposed to be a joke or something?" Neji narrowed his eyes.

"I don't really get it," Sakura said rubbing the back of her neck.

"Who said anything about a joke. It's a fact. Japanese people eat rice and fish. It's what we do."

Sakura, Hinata, and Neji all watched her silently.

"I think you're funny, Hanabi," Himawari spoke up while patting her aunt's back. It was obvious she was pitying her

"Well, you always were my favorite," Hanabi replied and ruffled the top of her head.

Neji and Hinata shared an all-knowing look and immediately laughed.

"You guys are a lot less reserved then what I had originally imagined," Sakura pointed out.

"Well, I think a lot of that has to do with Dad. He sort of taught mom how to loosen up a bit," Himawari answered. "And uncle Neji too." She turned to look at her Aunt. "But Hanabi's always been crass."

"Did I say you were my favorite. I take that back," Hanabi smirked and pulled out her cell phone. "I'm gonna shoot Boruto a text message real quick and tell him how great of a nephew he is; at least compared to his mean, little sister."

At the mention of Naruto, Hinata grew noticeably quiet, and the look on her face became dark and solemn. For a moment she had truly been distracted from the pain she felt in her chest, but the thought of Naruto being unfaithful and dishonest affected her profoundly, and she found that it was getting harder and harder to keep herself intact.

"What has Boruto been up to lately?" Sakura asked, trying to keep the conversation from dying so no one would notice Hinata's sudden withdrawal.

"Last I heard he started dating some chick," Himawari answered.

"Oh really, have you met her?"

"Yah, once or twice."

"What do you think?"

"She's….,"the young Uzumaki girl wrapped her fingers around her chin.

"Fat," Hanabi and Neji both finished Himawari's sentence in unison.

"That isn't what I was going to say!" the young girl protested. "I was gonna say that she's not what I expected Boruto to fall for. And she's not fat. She's just...well endowed."

"And black," Hanabi added.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that." Himawari quickly glared at her aunt. "She's beautiful, honestly, just not what I, or any of us, expected."

Sakura wasn't sure what to make of everyone's input. "Well, good for him. Maybe one day I'll meet her."

"Let's hope you don't," Neji tsk'd. "She's rather rude at times."

"What do you think of her Hinata?" Sakura rested her elbows on the table and then pulled her glasses off of her head to clip them on the collar of her shirt.

Hinata blinked several times before answering. "I think she's lovely in her own way."

"Hinata's just being polite," Hanabi laughed. "None of us like her."

"I don't dislike her," Himawari protested. "Hyuugas are just judgemental and old fashioned. No one in the family really knows her. If Boruto loves her there's clearly something special about her."

."Yah, it's called a D cup hun," Hanabi scoffed.

Neji was quick to scold his younger cousin at the crude remark. Sakura just laughed, and it was loud enough that it caught the attention of two women sitting at a booth several feet away.

"I think that's Sakura," the woman with long blonde hair spoke and leaned into the aisle to get a better view.

"Well, try to get her attention," the other woman, who had blondish, brown, hair replied.

Sakura immediately noticed that a lady with long blonde hair was staring at her. She squinted her eyes to make out the woman's face. "Ino?" she said and slowly stood to her feet.

"Where are you going Mrs. Uchiha," Himawari asked as she watched Sakura move out of her seat.

"Excuse me just a moment. I think I see someone I know,"

"Well don't take too long. We're going to order here when the waiter gets back," Neji inquired

"Oh, sure thing," Sakura nodded then walked away. When she reached the booth she felt an easy smile tug at her lips. "Well, hello ladies," she said and took a seat next to the woman with the brownish blonde hair. "Temari, I'm shocked to see you out. Shouldn't you be at home making dinner right now?"

"Psh," Temari scoffed. "I didn't feel like cooking today," she said and took a sip of her wine.

"And why is that?" Sakura asked genuinely curious.

"Shikamaru pissed her off," the woman with the longer hair answered.

"She didn't ask you Ino," Temari scoffed. "But more or less, yes, he pissed me off."

"Should I even ask what happened?"

Temari took another sip of her wine.

"Ok then," Sakura said and turned her body more towards Ino.

"Shouldn't you be in Germany? I thought you'd be gone for a few weeks, and here I am seeing your face again and it's only been what….like 5 days," Ino spoke while adjusting the bottom of her shirt.

Sakura sighed and tried to cover the anxious blush forming on her cheeks by grabbing the dessert menu from the middle of the table and pretending to look through it. "Oh yah, I just felt like coming home early."

Temari and Ino looked at each other with questioning glances.

"Well, now it's obvious that something is up," Temari declared.

"What makes you say that," Sakura replied while rereading the description of one of the dishes.

"For starters, you're eating dinner with Naruto's wife and her clan," Ino said while pushing down the menu in Sakura's hands. "Oh, and you're not in Germany!" she added.

"And you're outfit is depressing," Temari pointed out. "You headed to a funeral after this or what?"

Sakura stared at her friends, wishing she had ignored the idea to come and sit with them.

"Hello?" Ino's eyes were wide and curious.

Sakura scratched the side of her arm. "I- Sasuke and I are having some issues," she finally caved in but chose to not go into specifics.

"You fought?" Temari asked.

Sakura turned her head.

"Ooo, so it's that bad," Ino frowned.

Sakura didn't respond.

Temari and Ino shared another look. They were both worried.

"Look, why don't you come over sometime tomorrow or later this week. We can talk it out, yeah?" Ino suggested, reaching a hand over to hold Sakura's arm.

The fair-haired woman used a free limb to wipe at her eyes that were close to releasing another set of tears.

"Um, Were going to New Orleans next month," Temari suddenly announced. It was obvious she was trying to change the subject.

Sakura took a deep breath and forced herself to smile. "What for?"

"Mardis Gras!"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh wow, that sounds a little crazy."

"You should come," Ino suddenly suggested.

Temari shrugged. "Yah you should."

"Um…," the Uchiha's wife stalled.

"It'll be like the old days," Ino continued. "And it seems like you need a break. We can stop by Sidell; get some strawberries."

"And drink some wine," Temari pitched in.

Ino nodded. "And eat some beneigs and crawfish."

"And drink some wine," Temari smirked.

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle at the mischievous twinkle in her friend's eyes. "I'll think about it," she answered.

"Good," Ino replied, releasing her friend's wrist.

"Ok, I should get back now. Hinata's cousin Neji is a real rude ass. He'll be mad if I'm not there when the waiter comes."

Ino leaned out into the aisle to look at the man. "Hmm, the mean ones are always really attractive aren't they?"

"It's a hit or miss," Temari answered.

Sakura stood out of the booth. "I'll call you guys."

"Sounds grand," Ino grinned.

"Cheers," Temari said while lifting up her wine glass.

When Sakura returned to her table she tuned into the argument Neji and Hanabi were having about what type of pizza to get. The older Hyuuga wanted to get something with spinach on it while Hanabi wanted a Hawaiian deep dish plate. Hinata was still slightly withdrawn; only reacting to some of Hanabi's more vulgar comments and insults. Honestly, it was hard for anyone to not react to most things that came out of that woman's mouth.

"Who was at the booth?" Himawari asked as Sakura retook her seat.

"Oh, just some close friends of mine."

Hinata nodded. She didn't have too many friends, mainly because her social life consisted of hanging out with her sister and her cousin.

At the end of the dispute, two pizzas were ordered: one supreme, thin crust with extra spinach and a Hawaiian deep dish plate. Himawari had suggested making the double order. Neji made sure to pay for the meal even though Hinata had offered. By the time they had all finished, it was getting close to seven, and the sun had long since gone down.

 **XxX**

The ride home was fairly quiet, due to the fact that everyone was stuffed and needed what remaining energy they had left from the day to digest their food. Neji turned the radio on to his favorite jazz station. For a while he just cruised around the city, inviting the females in his car to relax and clear their minds.

Hinata watched her cousin as he drove, admiring his stability. He was truly the buffer of the family. When her father had died he chose to live with Hinata for several months because Naruto was gone on a mission, and she was borderline about to lose her mind. He took care of her; taking the kids to school, cooking dinner, and doing chores. He visited other members of the family too, checking up on them and making sure they had everything they needed.

Today was just another example of how he was looking after his family. It had been a brilliant idea to take everyone out shopping and to dinner. It was just a big enough distraction that Hinata felt like she could make it through another day without succumbing to the torture of her running thoughts. And Sakura seemed to benefit from the outing too. She was even able to see some close friends which also helped lighten her mood. Hinata sat up straight in her seat. _This will pass,_ she thought to herself. After she talked with Naruto she would work through whatever he told her and together they would push through to the future and allow the past to remain in the past.

"You feeling better?" Neji asked, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Thank you," she replied and reached over to stroke the side of his head. Her fingers sifted through his long tresses of hair and she pulled on the ends affectionately."We needed today."

"Un," Neji nodded. "But you can't let him off the hook this time Hinata. You need to properly confront him. Or else I will. and I can't promise you that it won't get violent."

"I will confront him Neji," Hinata stated. "I have to in order to move forward."

"Do you think it's true?"

Hinata paused. "It's- it's not impossible," she answered. "Granted, I don't want to believe it."

"Me neither," Neji agreed.

After 20 minutes of leisurely cruising through the city, Neji turned onto Monroe and floored it up the parking garage. The sudden acceleration woke everyone up out of their daze.

"This isn't fucking NASCAR! Slow the fuck down," Hanabi complained.

"You'll live," the older Hyuuga retorted.

"Whose car is that?" Himawari pointed out as they peeled out onto the top level. Everyone's attention immediately turned to the large, black Lincoln Navigator parked on the opposite side from where they were currently driving.

"It's mine," Sakura answered in a low tone.

Slowly, Neji crept his Porsche over to the large truck, rolling down his window as he reached the Lincoln's driver's side.

The tinted window of the Lincoln began to roll down just as Neji pressed on his break.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke greeted. His mouth was in a hard line.

"Uchiha," Neji replied back, his face mirroring Sasuke's stoic stare.

Hinata unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted herself to look at Sakura in the back seat. "You don't have to go if you don't want too," Hinata said. Her expression was serious and worried at the same time.

"It's fine Hinata," Sakura said, gripping the door handle. "I need to go." She looked at Himawari and Hanabi. "Thank you ladies, for a wonderful day." She looked at the back of Neji's head. "And dinner," she added.

"Bye Mrs. Uchiha," Hinata's daughter replied apprehensively. She immediately noticed the tension and felt somewhat alarmed by it.

The Hyuuga clan watched Sakura closely as she stepped out of the car and entered the passenger's side of the Lincoln. As soon as the door to the truck closed Sasuke rolled up his window and drove his car toward the parking garage exit.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** So not so long ago a reader asked me who would end up with who at the end of this story. And I thought prior to everyone reading this chapter I would share my answer. I will let you know now that I am never one for cliches or predictable outcomes. If anything, I like to keep my stories realistic, therefore, I haven't fully decided on who will end up with who. If anything, I've been leaning more towards the idea that no one truly gets what they want. This isn't to say that the ending won't be satisfying, but I've never been one to put a cherry on top of a messy situation and call it a perfect ice cream sundae. Right now, Sasuke is trying to have his cake and eat it too (you will understand more what I mean by that as you read this chapter). Naruto has accepted the life he has with Hinata, and as he stated in the second chapter, it would go against his very nature to abandon his kids and his wife. But there will be consequences to his actions. No one gets away with cheating. That's not real life. I will not be making Hinata or Sakura pushovers who forgive without a seconds notice. That's just not how I roll. However, this story _is a drama_ , and when you're dealing with adultery within a 20-year long marriage it is going to be super hard and complicated. Hurting is not a weakness, it's just the result of pain, and when you hurt you sometimes act without thinking. (Well, unless your Sasuke, he knows what he's doing. But there's definitely a whole world of hurt up in that dude; so much so that his ultra douchebag game is on ten yo.)

With that being said this chapter marks the end of part one. I'll have to take a short break before I start posting part two. But I've been working on it for a while so it shouldn't take too long.

 **P.S.** Don't hate me for Sasuke's actions. We all know how ridiculous he can get when he sets his mind on what he wants. (Hides under the bed)

Ch 6

Sakura couldn't think of a single word to say as Sasuke drove his truck down the parking garage and onto the main road. She pulled the edges of Hinata's coat closer to her chest and turned her head to look out the window. She surprisingly had a really good time with the Hyuugas, and they had successfully kept her attention off of her depressing circumstances even if it was just for a couple of hours. Sakura didn't understand why she never took the initiative to hang out with Hinata in the past. Their connection was so obvious it was baffling, or maybe unexpected was a better way to describe it. For one, they didn't have much in common; besides shopping at underrated boutiques. They were polar opposites when it came to personality. Sakura was more outgoing and personable while Hinata was introverted and reserved.

Their upbringing was also very different. Hinata had a large family while Sakura grew up as an only child. She didn't have any cousins that she knew about, and her grandparents died before she ever met them. The way Hinata's family interacted with each other was a clear reflection of the family dynamic Hinata was immersed in as a child. On the other Hand, Sakura was pretty lonely growing up. Sure, her parents were great. They never neglected her, and their marriage was solid. But there wasn't much depth outside of the three of them being together, and that was clearly reflected in Sakura's current home.

"What did you do with the Hyuugas?" Sasuke suddenly asked, interrupting Sakura's thoughts.

She slowly cocked her head over her shoulder. "We went shopping," she answered before turning her head back towards the window.

"Un"

The Uchiha's lived in Bridgeport which was a modest neighborhood. Their house, however, was quite the opposite. It was the largest building on the block; a brick mansion surrounded by a black iron fence. When Sasuke pulled into the driveway he rolled down his window and placed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner. The small box immediately identified him as the owner of the property and the gates begin to move and make space for the Lincoln to drive through.

While the Uzumaki's loft had a modern feel to it, Sasuke and Sakura's home was old and Victorian. It was narrow and tall with several turrets. The inside had decorative trim and large windows topped with stained glass panels. Sasuke parked the car and waited for Sakura to exit the passenger side. Together they walked up the front steps and entered the foyer. "I'm going to bed," Sakura announced as she slipped off Hinata's boots. She leisurely strolled over to the two-way staircase, ignoring the way Sasuke was observing her. He eventually followed after her.

"Are you really going to bed?" he asked as they walked into their bedroom suite. He unzipped his coat and placed it neatly on the chair that sat directly in front of the fireplace. " I was under the impression we were going to talk."

Sakura stood uncomfortably in the doorway, hating the way Sasuke unabashedly stared at her. She shifted her eyes to the floor. Her emotions were unidentifiable. Was she angry, annoyed, frustrated, or all of the above? "At this point, I don't know what I could possibly say."

The dark haired man blinked several times before placing both hands on the back of the recliner. "Sakura-"

"Just shut up!" she interjected. "I shouldn't have to say anything. Do you have any idea what I've been through in the past 24 hours?"

Sasuke's gaze drifted away from his wife to the fireplace.

Sakura took several steps into the room."The only one who should be talking is you. So fucking explain yourself." Her body was trembling. Sasuke's face formed an expression that was impossible to read. She was clueless to how he truly felt about the situation, but a part of her assumed he didn't care as much as he should have.

"They found a lead on Itachi."

Sakura stood completely still; every muscle in her body tensing to the point that she felt paralyzed.

"Wh-what?"

"A big lead," Sasuke continued. "That's why I needed to go to Germany. Hatake and his team were closing in on a guy who had intel on Itachi's whereabouts. The man lived in Dresden, so me and Naruto were going to investigate the city and hopefully collect more information. But by the time Naruto made it to the Dresden City airport, Hatake had already retrieved a hard drive that contained a database of all of Itachi's independent missions for the past 20 years."

Sakura stood speechless.

"In other words, I've been given something like a map that will hopefully guide me to the location of my brother. I'll be able to find out what he's been working on for the past two decades and maybe-"

"Stop," Sakura interrupted, raising her hand. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. How the hell was she supposed to respond? This was the last thing she expected to come out of her cheating husband's mouth. "Look," she sighed, "I am overwhelmed by this news, and if the circumstances were different I would even be excited, but the only thing I'm trying to understand is what I saw on the balcony in Meissen. Before Naruto and Hinata arrived at the house, you seemed troubled and acted as if you had something important to talk about."

Sasuke removed his hands from the back of the recliner and slipped them into his pockets.

"I was going to tell you about Itachi…." He opened his mouth as if he had more to say but then stopped.

"And," Sakura pressed? "Please Help me understand why you thought it was necessary to fly me across the globe for what was obviously supposed to be a private investigation?"

Sasuke was struggling to say anything else which made Sakura dread what she was about to hear.

"I wanted to spend time with you just one last time before…"

Sakura could feel her eyes burning, wishing her body would make a break for the door before the next words spilled out of her husband's mouth.

"before I asked for a divorce."

 _If words could kill._

"What do you mean a divorce?" Sakura asked calmly. "I-I don't understand where you're coming from." She moved further into the room until she stood directly in front of the tall Uchiha.

Sasuke looked into Sakura's eyes. "I'm in love with someone else," he confessed, "I've been in love with someone else for a very long time."

"So what!" Sakura immediately replied, her voice loud and angry. "That doesn't explain why you suddenly want a divorce."

"Naruto made a promise to help me find Itachi. And after going over the files in the database, it seems if we were to follow the lead we would have to leave the country for an extended period of time."

"How long is an extended period of time?"

"Indefinitely."

"And so just like that you've decided to divorce me so you can go on a quest with your fucking lover."

"It's not like that Sakura." Sasuke tried to keep himself from reacting in a way that went against his character, but it was proving to be a difficult task.

"Than how the hell is it? Huh? How can you possibly justify your actions?"

"I can't, but even if I tried to explain everything to you, you would never understand."

"Oh no, I think I get it clearly. At some point, you fucked your best friend and came to the realization that you were more attracted to a man's asshole then you were your goddamn wife. You. Disgust. Me."

Sakura made a quick pivot to leave but found herself being forced back around. Her husband's hand was grasped firmly around her arm and his eyes were wild. Clearly, she had struck a chord.

"It was never my intention to hurt you," he bit out through gritted teeth. "It was never my intention-"

"To what, Marry me!"

Sasuke didn't say a word which led Sakura to rip her arm out of his hold.

"To have a family." She shook her head. "Well, it's a little too late for that Sasuke, you've kind of rooted yourself into a huge predicament, now, haven't you? Just leave, this conversation isn't going anywhere, and I don't want to hear your sob story about your relationship with Naruto." Sakura walked over and sat on the bed. "Oh, but just out of sheer curiosity, how long have you two been screwing around?"

Sasuke didn't answer.

"The cat's out of the fucking bag Sasuke." There's no need to stay quiet any longer, so please, enlighten me. How long have you and Naruto been doing this shit behind everyone's backs?"

"Freshman year of college."

Sakura sighed, the sudden urge to drink becoming the thought that dominated her mind.

"How did I miss it?" she laughed cynically. "How was I so oblivious."

"You weren't the only one who was oblivious," Sasuke responded.

"I'm pretty sure that's a given."

"Everything between me and Naruto is extremely complicated, and unfortunately you and Hinata have finally been caught up in the crossfire which I knew would happen one day. I just didn't think it would be 20 years later."

Sakura scrunched her face and glared. "Sasuke, it's not just me and Hinata who've been caught up in your mess. You need to consider Sarada and Naruto's children as well. This is going to affect them too, and your relationship with Sarada has been on the rocks for years. When she finds out about you and Naruto you aren't going to have a daughter anymore. You realize that don't you?"

Sasuke grew doleful. "I'm aware."

Sakura shrugged. "But it doesn't matter, right? Because it's your brother and Naruto, and those two clearly trump even your own fucking kid."

Sasuke didn't respond which sent an electric shock of fury through Sakura's body. She stood to her feet, and without thinking, threw one of the nightstands across the room, causing the lamp to fall to the floor and burst into tiny pieces

"What was it all for Sasuke!" she cried. She traveled to the bookcases on the other side of the room and started ripping books and magazines off the shelves. "Why!" she yelled again. "Did you ever love me at all?"

Sasuke watched without hiding any of the sorrow he felt.

"You lied to me. You betrayed me. You've taken 20 years of my life and made them meaningless."

Sasuke didn't deny it. He didn't protest. He just watched Sakura with a sad frown on his face, and this about drove Sakura to the edge. The pain she felt was surreal. It was like a poison, seeping through her skin, infecting her blood, and consuming her bones. It was a force pushing her to her mental limits, obliterating her sense of rationality, and igniting an impulse to strike anything and everything down. She walked over to the reclining chair and kicked into the pit of the fireplace before, standing directly in front of Sasuke. The man didn't so much as flinch as Sakura took deep breaths.

"Why me? You could have used anyone else, so why me?"

"I've hurt you enough Sakura. I don't want to hurt you anymore." Sasuke whispered.

"Tell me why." she pleaded and grabbed his forearm.

Sasuke remained silent so she squeezed his arm, digging her nails into his bicep. "You are going to say something, or so help me, I truly don't know what I might do."

Sasuke rested his hand on top of Sakura's and gently pulled it off of his arm. "Before our senior year in college," he started, "I had a conversation with my dad about my future. He had already assumed you and I were dating, and as we continued talking I realized there was no way he was ever going to understand my feelings for Naruto or accept them. I was really stressed because there were a lot of superficial expectations I was being forced to meet; which is typical inside of a Japanese family. I knew what I wanted. I wanted to be with Naruto, but being with him meant going completely against my father's wishes. So I ran away."

"Why did you run?"

"Because I couldn't figure out whether or not my desires were right or wrong."

"Was that the only reason you ran away?" Sakura asked as she retracted her hand back to her side

"I also knew you had feelings for me."

There was a moment of silence, and Sasuke used this to give his wife the chance to end the conversation, but she didn't move from where she stood. She just waited.

"You were the other option," he continued. "a means for me to escape the reality of what would happen if I decided to confess the truth to my father. The plan was to "date" you for a while until my family was satisfied, but then things got out of hand. Naruto was depressed, you were consumed, and my parents kept bringing up marriage. I cracked under all the pressure. There was a moment where Naruto gave me an ultimatum to confess or he would walk; I stubbornly refused. When Naruto ended our relationship I, out of sheer impulse, asked you to marry me. I had convinced myself that I would eventually fall in love with you, and I honestly tried. Sometimes I wonder if I did at some point, but anything I tried to feel with you always fell short of what I felt for Naruto."

Sakura bit the bottom of her lip. Was she was supposed to feel sorry for Sasuke? Because she absolutely did not. If anything she felt like laughing in his face.

Sasuke could tell she was far from being sympathetic, so he leaned back cautiously. "I recognize what kind of person I am. And there is no excuse I can use to cover up my mistakes; sorry will never be enough, but I've finally made up my mind Sakura. Even if it's twenty years too late, I know what I want. And if that means I have to destroy the life I already have, then so be it."

Sakura swung her arm striking Sasuke across the face. His head didn't move with the force, so as he continued to look down at the fair-haired woman, a red mark began to form near his left temple. Sakura struck him again. When she lifted her hand a third time, Sasuke grabbed her wrist.

"Stop."

"No!" She yelled, shoving herself into his chest. He let out a small grunt.

"What does he have that I don't? What did I do wrong?" She pulled back her free arm and started beating Sasuke's shoulder. "Is it because I'm a woman?"

"I said stop Sakura." He grabbed her other wrist and held it tight.

"I can change. I can be different. I can-" she sobbed, "Just don't leave me. Please." Weakly she tried to twist herself out of her husband's grasp. "Don't leave me, don't destroy our family."

When Sasuke didn't respond Sakura stopped struggling and looked up into his face. His mouth was in a straight line and his eyes were dark and serious. Sakura realized in that moment that Sasuke's mind was made up, and there was nothing she or anyone was going be able to say or do to make him decide otherwise.

In a small voice, she spoke saying, "How are you capable of something so wrong and selfish?"

No answer.

"What kind of man are you?"

"A despicable one Sakura," he replied and his voice held a mysterious somber tone as if there was a deeper meaning to his words.

Tears were streaming down Sakura's cheeks as she continued to look into Sasuke's eyes. Was this truly who Sasuke was? Was this the kind of person he had always been? Her mind wasn't able to process Sasuke's behavior because while he was always distant, he had never been recklessly self-seeking.

"There are so many things you don't know about me, nor would you accept them if I ever revealed them to you. I've done horrible things to a lot of people, evil things, to get what I've needed from them. And as much as it hurts me to say this, you weren't an exception. I'm not leaving you just for myself. I'm doing it because I've never been, nor will I ever be, the husband or father that you and Sarada deserve. You don't need to change for me. The fact that you are a woman has nothing to do with my actions. The only thing I'm hoping to make you understand is that the real me isn't right for you. You would be better off being alone than trying to love someone who isn't worthy of your love."

"That isn't something you get to decide!" Sakura snapped. "I don't care who you are or who you claim to be. I'm the one who decides whether or not you're worthy of my love. And Sasuke," she said with a sad smile, "you **are** worthy."

Without warning Sakura found herself being shoved across the room and onto the bed. Alarmed, she pushed herself up against the headboard. Sasuke grabbed her ankles and forcefully yanked her forward until she slid onto her back.

"What are you doing!"

With wide eyes, she watched as her husband undid his belt and crawled onto the bed. Without saying a word he grabbed both of her wrists and used his belt to tie them to one of the small poles on the headboard. Sakura felt genuine fear as Sasuke roamed his black eyes all over her body. There was no love in his expression. His face was void of any emotion which made Sakura uncertain what it was he was about to do.

"Why do you love me?" he whispered in a voice that was his own yet somehow it seemed unrecognizable. Sakura couldn't speak. "If you have anything else to say now is the time to do it," he warned.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I was hoping you would answer my question." Suddenly, Sasuke was on top of her with his fingers wrapped around her throat. While she squirmed and squealed under his body, he pulled a white handkerchief out of his back pocket and forced it through her teeth. Sakura attempted to spit it out but was stopped as the Uchiha placed his hand over her face. He used his other hand to unwrap the tie from the collar of his shirt then used the tie to secure the handkerchief inside of Sakura's mouth.

When Sakura was no longer able to make a loud sound, he leaned over towards the nightstand and opened up the drawer. Inside were a sharp pair of scissors. He grabbed them and presented them to his wife whose eyes widened in sheer terror. As he lowered the utensil to Sakura's chest, she began to squirm and whimper. Just before the scissors made contact with her skin, Sakura closed her eyes, keeping them shut until she heard a snipping sound. When her eyes fluttered back open, she found the tunic she had borrowed from Hinata's house had been cut directly down the middle. Once the tunic was discarded, Sasuke un-straddled Sakura and began pulling off her black leggings. The fair-haired woman did her best to kick off his hands, but Sasuke was much stronger than her. Now she was in nothing but her undergarments. Sasuke straddled her once again and used the scissors to cut off the straps of her bra. He pulled the undergarment from under her shoulders revealing her breasts. Sasuke glanced down then looked back at Sakura whose face was turned towards the fireplace. She was silently weeping. Sasuke hesitated briefly before he slid back onto his wife's legs and cut off her underwear. The Uchiha reached forward and grabbed Sakura's chin. He turned her head forward, forcing her to look at him, but she wouldn't keep eye contact.

"Look at me," he commanded.

When Sakura didn't comply, he squeezed her cheeks. Sakura made a noise before yanking her face out of Sasuke's fingers. She looked up at him with a broken glance. Slowly, he lowered himself until his lips were hovering inches above her quivering ones. "I will never be worthy of your love," he whispered. With those final words Sasuke removed himself from the bed and exited the room, leaving Sakura alone, tied up, and naked.

Sakura lied in silence for a long time after Sasuke left. She didn't try to remove the belt from her wrists or the handkerchief from her mouth. She just stared at the ceiling and contemplated whether or not it was possible to will herself to die.

 **XxX**

"That was awkward," Hanabi spoke up once the Lincoln was out of sight.

"What was that all about mom?" Himawari questioned. For a moment everyone seemed on edge. But what for?

No one answered.

Neji pulled his Porsche into its usual parking space. "If Sasuke's home," he started "that means Naruto is probably home too," he said softly so only Hinata could hear what he was saying.

Hinata sighed. _We'll talk and get through this,_ she thought to herself.

 _We'll talk and get through this._

It was silent in the car, and no one was moving. Hinata's anxiety was quickly morphing into frustration. Everyone was waiting for her to leave the vehicle first, or so it seemed.

"Um, why are we all just sitting here?" Himawari asked. Once Sakura had left she scooted over and made an attempt to open the door but stopped when she noticed that no one else had moved.

Hinata gripped the door handle, and took a deep breathe. "Himawari, I want you to go with Neji tonight."

"Wha- why?" the young Uzumaki contorted her face into a confused expression as she poked her head between the space dividing the front seat and the passenger seat.

The look on Hinata's face was one Himawari had never seen before, and just as she was about to question the severity of whatever it was that was bothering her mother, Hinata opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle.

"Wait mom, what's going on? Is Dad here?"

"Himawari, learn to stop asking so many question and just do what your mom is asking you to do!" Neji snapped.

Her eyes widened at her Uncle's sudden outburst.

Hinata turned back towards the window. "Look, I just need you to go with your aunt and uncle tonight. I promise you everything is going to be alright. I just need to sort some things out with your father."

"So he is here. I want to see him!" She demanded and her eyes were beginning to look moist.

"And you will but not tonight. So just stay with Neji and Hanabi and make sure they don't kill each other. Can you do that for me? Please, Himawari."

Himawari didn't know what to say. Her mom looked desperate and while she was tempted to make a dash for the sky bridge something told her that her uncle wasn't going to let that happen. She knew something was very wrong, but for now, she would have to trust her mom and stay in the car. Her mother had never lied or let her down before, so if she needed to be alone with dad then she would let her. "Ok," she conceded and sat back in her seat. She quickly wiped her eye with the back of her hand.

"Thank you darling. I love you so much," Hinata smiled gently at her daughter.

"I want an explanation later."

"And hopefully you'll get one."

Himawari didn't know how to receive that.

Neji reached for his cousin's hand that was on the window. "Look at me," he said. And she looked at him with all the trouble of the world in her eyes. "You got this," he reassured. "And no matter what, don't let him get away without any answers."

"I-I won't."

"Hinata."

"I won't Neji."

He looked at her for another brief moment before he released her hand and rolled up the window. Hinata felt as if a part of herself was leaving as she watched Neji's car drive away. She looked back towards the sky bridge and took a deep breath.

 _We'll talk and get through this._

Now that everyone was gone, Hinata could feel the pressure of the oncoming confrontation. Feeling a slight chill, she rubbed the sides of her arms and headed towards the skywalk. When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she saw Naruto waiting for her in the kitchen. He had a bouquet of sweetpea flowers in a intricate, crystal vase set on top of the counter. "These are for you," he announced as he lifted them up. His face held a desperate grin as he was genuinely happy to see her, albeit, Hinata knew that underneath that smile Naruto was trying to mask his anxiety and guilt.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he said as he walked up and embraced her. He slipped the vase into her arms. Hesitantly, she relaxed, resting her head into his chest.

"I was so worried." He pulled her back and pressed a delicate kiss onto the bridge of her nose.

"N-naruto," she stuttered.

"You're still wearing the dress you had on in Germany. Have you showered or slept? Have you eaten? I can probably order something or-"

"Naruto," Hinata spoke firmly. "I'm fine." She lightly pushed his arms down from around her waist and returned the vase to the counter. "I don't need anything right now."

The blonde haired man nodded. "Ok."

"We need to talk." She wasn't going to waste any time getting to the point. Neji had advised Hinata not to prolong the conversation, and that if she did, Naruto would find a way to avoid having one completely. Which was typical of Naruto, not because he was non-confrontational, but because he hated disappointing his wife.

"Sure. let's talk." He grabbed two chairs from the kitchen table and placed one in front of himself and the other in front of Hinata.

It was very discomforting to the former Hyuuga to see Naruto so nervous and overly attentive. He was focusing on her every move, lending her his hand to help her take a seat. She didn't reach for it.

For a moment they both stared at each other until Naruto scratched his thigh and reluctantly asked, "So what is it you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about Sakura," she answered.

"Sakura?" Naruto sat up straight with a genuinely confused expression on his face. "What about her?"

"I want to know what made Sakura so upset in Germany that she attempted to drink herself into a coma."

"Oh," he replied rubbing the back of his neck. "To be honest with you Hinata, I don't know specifically why Sakura was upset-" He paused momentarily.

Hinata's face was stern.

"But I have an idea," he finished, taking a deep breath.

"What's your idea?"

"I think she overheard an argument me and Sasuke were having."

"What was the argument about?"

Naruto hesitated, averting his eyes from Hinata's face.

"Naruto?" Hinata said his name softly.

"We…. we were fighting about our relationship."

"In what context."

Naruto's hands were squeezing his knees. He licked the front of his teeth, still avoiding Hinata's gaze. "A romantic context," he finally answered.

Hinata took a deep breathe. She truly thought she would be prepared to have this talk with Naruto, to listen to him explain what she hoped would be a lie and or a misunderstanding. But she wasn't prepared at all. One of her eyes twitched as a pool of tears started to form around her bottom eyelid. Was she finally going to break? She had been holding everything in for the past day in a half; not allowing herself to feel more than a series of anxious currents. The moment the decision was made to fly black home from germany, Hinata chose not to make an effort to process what Sakura had told her. She hadn't plan on jumping to any conclusions or diving head first into a depressed abyss until after she heard directly from Naruto the truth about everything. But now, looking back on it, maybe it would have benefited her to jump off the deep end. It may have made the blow of Naruto's confession a little less heart shattering.

Then again, it probably wouldn't have.

Hinata's Husband could see the look on her face; the tears tempting to run down her cheeks. So by reflex, he came to her side, squatting in front of her legs." Please don't cry," he pleaded and attempted to explain the situation. His voice sounded like white noise in Hinata's ears, and despite her having a million things she wanted to ask the only question that came out of her mouth was, "Do you love him?"

"What?" Naruto was taken off guard because her question was irrelevant to what he was currently trying to elucidate.

"Do you love him?" she asked again and focused in on his big blue eyes.

Naruto's mouth hung slightly open, unable to form any words.

Hinata's stare grew heavier by the second.

"Yes," he finally answered, because he couldn't lie to her; he could never lie to her. "But I'm not in love with him."

"What's the difference?"

Naruto tried to answer but found that his mind was too cluttered to clarify whether or not there was an actual difference

"Have you slept with him?"

"Hinata," Naruto pleaded, resting his hands on the sides of her chair.

"Have you Naruto?"

The blonde haired man closed his eyes. "Yes."

"When was the last time?"

Naruto was crying now, his face full of shame. He could hardly speak or keep his head held up.

"Tell me Naruto!"

He drew in a breathe "Yesterday," he whispered.

There weren't 't any words to describe what Hinata felt in that moment. It was strange because the only other time she had experienced something like it was at her father's funeral. She couldn't speak. It was quiet except for Naruto's low sobs. A few minutes passed until she eventually spoke. Her voice was very quiet. "I need you to leave."

"Don't say that," Naruto pleaded, his arms surrounding the bottom of her chair.

"Please, just leave," she repeated which caused Naruto to release a loud sob.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," He wept into her lap. "I'm sorry I'm sorry." he recited over and over until Hinata pushed herself to her feet. Naruto remained on his knees, holding onto her waist, and crying into her abdomen.

"I'm sorry. I'm so Sorry. Please forgive me," he begged and held fastly to her body. "Forgive me."

As Naruto graveled, Hinata found herself shutting down mentally. She was unable to contemplate the significance of Naruto's apologies. And while there was undoubtedly a story behind the affair that was going on between Naruto and Sasuke, Hinata decided, in that very moment, she would push everything that had happen in the past two days to the furthest corner of her mind and tune in to what she felt in her heart. Yes, this was foolish, and if Neji had been there to witness what was going on deep within her subconscious, he would scream and protest and tell her to stand her ground, to not give in, and to recognize her worth. But Hinata wasn't like Neji. Where he was mentally strong, she crumbled when the pressures of life started to become unbearable, and Naruto's confession had been one of the most unbearable things she had ever experienced in her life. It was on par with the day she witnessed her father pass away in the hospital, and that was the worst day of her life.

Gently she started to pet the top of Naruto's head, letting her fingers glide through his blonde hair. Through glossy eyes, her husband looked up at her, his face stained with tears. She cupped his cheeks with the palm of her hands, beckoning him to rise to his feet. He obliged, wrapping his fingers over her wrists as he stood tall over her petite frame.

"I'm sorry," he said once again, and Hinata pulled his face forward to press his lips against her own. She kissed him deeply and without any restraint, sliding her hands down from his cheeks and to the back of his neck. Naruto reciprocated Hinata's kisses while lifting her off the floor so she could fold her legs around his waist. He carried her to the guest room and laid her gently onto the bed. He pressed himself into her body as their kisses grew more fervent. "I'm sorry," he spoke again over her lips as his hands slipped under the skirt of her dress. Hinata ignored Naruto's apologies and declarations of adoration as they made love. She simply went through the motions, making sure Naruto's arms were securely wrapped around her as they drifted off to sleep.

The next day when she woke up Naruto was gone.


End file.
